The Proposition

[abcdefz]

....yeah; this is in about two dozen theaters, so I don't know who all would even have the chance to see it, let alone want to. But:

Guy Pierce plays the lead; Nick Cave wrote the screenplay. Old Australia, late 1800's (I think). Pierce and his young brother are shackled and the local police captain offers to let the younger brother go if Pierce will bring in his monsterous older brother, who's charged with brutal killings and rape, etc.

Good movie. Man, it's really beautifully shot. Burnished orange, turquoise, blues, greys, browns. Nice compositions.

Pierce is very good, per usual, but not quite as much screen time as I would've liked. Emily Watson has a good sized role and does fine.

The movie gets set up pretty quickly and then sort of plods for a while, and I was kind of afraid it was going to get all ponderous and myth-making, but then the plot sort of shifts into second gear and we're off.

There are some really, really violent images which were shocking in a good way -- I like it when the impact of violence looks genuine and messy and horrifying, and it sure does here.

B.

[Drederick Tatum]

I don't think very much of Australian cinema, but I'll definitely check this one out. Uncut seemed to think it was pretty good.

[Sarky Devotchka]

my friend wanted us to see that, but I didn't feel like it.

[abcdefz]

I wasn't quite in the mood, either, but figured if I ever wanted to see it in the theater, I'd better get my butt in there this weekend. I'm really glad I did -- the cinematography and attention to detail probably need the big screen.

Tomatometer reading, if anyone's interested. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/proposition/)

[enree erzweglle]

I saw it last night with friends. It was way too violent for me. Especially one scene. I left and wandered the lobby, read a bit, and returned to my seat. I did that twice.

Yes, the cinematography was effective although sometimes the contrasts were overplayed. Great performances. The plot was a bit too predictable. I would have preferred it if it had taken a mystical sort of detour out there in the caves. Cool dog.

[Yeti]

I am going to the Wednesday matinee(y)
My wife is not down with the violence. I say what is a good western without blood, guts and whores?!

[icy manipulator]

that came out a fair while ago here. like seriously about a year ago

[enree erzweglle]

that came out a fair while ago here. like seriously about a year agoIn my city, the movies that were popular elsewhere but perhaps not award-winning tend only to show in art houses and for fairly limited engagements and we often get them long after they were hits in the originating country. Exceptions to that are movies that took Oscars and movies that are comedies with the type of humor that American audiences get--those movies usually come more quickly and they'll play for a longer time in art houses. Then, depending on word-of-mouth, they'll often get wider distribution or they'll run for longer in just that handful of theaters.

[icy manipulator]

In my city, the movies that were popular elsewhere but perhaps not award-winning tend only to show in art houses and for fairly limited engagements and we often get them long after they were hits in the originating country. Exceptions to that are movies that took Oscars and movies that are comedies with the type of humor that American audiences get--those movies usually come more quickly and they'll play for a longer time in art houses. Then, depending on word-of-mouth, they'll often get wider distribution or they'll run for longer in just that handful of theaters.
yeah i never saw it so i have no idea if it was good or not. few ppl i know liked it tho

[enree erzweglle]

yeah i never saw it so i have no idea if it was good or not. few ppl i know liked it thoI would maybe have been happier with this as a Netflix rental and having it on my smaller screen. But I saw it with people who are Australian and it's just a given that when anything Australian happens here, we all see/do it together. (So I went blindly, not even knowing what genre the movie was, just knowing that it was Australian and that it had Guy Pearce.)