Slow West

Slow West tells the story of Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a naive and courageous kid who embarks on a dangerous journey to the West, determined to find his love, a beautiful young woman, Rose (Caren Pistorius). He meets and accepts the guidance of Silas (Michael Fassbender), a laid-back gunslinger versed in the ways of the West.

Jay, an idealist and a neophyte to the perils of the wilderness, illustrates a touching contrast between his educated, delicate nature and the wickedness around him.

The director (John Maclean) controls and carefully addresses all his characters, adds purpose and exquisite emotion, portraying the fragile yet ambitious Jay in a story set with a glance of surrealism.

It is not a typical action-packed western, but it is a treat with its stunning cinematography, framing intimate and colorful scenes, both subtle and vivid comical situations and characters, a well-paced feel-good experience.

Slow West may live up to it's title but it also proves that a slow pace does not mean it can't be action laced, fun and exciting.

Michael Fassbender does an old school style western that reminds me of Eastwood in his glory days. He portrays a man helping a boy from Scotland find his sweetheart who had to skip the country and head to America's West.

The movie was visually stunning as the filmmaker used a lot of cool camera tricks to make the Frontier look like colorful art work.

Went to see the movie cause Michael Fassbender was in it and I got real nervous as the picture started and I realized how slow it was going, but even though the pace staid slow the energy of the movie does not.

Slow west is filled with all the good stuff you loved, with Michael Fassbender playing the anti hero and Ben Mendelsohn playing the colorful villain. Even the fact that it was shot beautifully in New Zealand is a homage to the old school westerns that were shot in Italy.

Nothing but cool.

Just a quick review here, Slow West is one of those Indie films in redbox I have wanted to catch up with before I do my best films of 2015 so far. Anything with Michael Fassbender in it is worth seeing and am also a big fan of the always gruesome Ben Mendelsohn. Violence is present throughout.

Slow West is an unusual Western about a young Scottish man/boy, Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is in love and due to a tragedy that he claims to be his fault, his love had to flee to the West. On his way to the west Jay has a run in with some men having a "hunting party" for Indians. At gunpoint and not knowing what to do, Jay is rescued? by Fassbender's character, Silas. They agree to a deal where Silas will protect and lead him to the West for a hundred dollars. Along the way the audience learns that Silas is truly just using Jay in a diabolic way, and that Jay's love Rose and her dad, have a $2,000 bounty on their bodies and Silas wants to collect.

On their way, encounters with Bandits and people of many kinds are frequent. Silas also learns a lot about Jay and sometimes seems to becoming fond of him but you are never really sure if Silas is using or helping Jay. Narrating, Silas says about Jay "That kid was a wonder. He saw things differently. To him, we were in a land of hope and good will." The uncertain relationship and even at times, a seeming mentor-ship between Silas and Jay is a component in Slow West that outright works. Will Silas help Jay save his gal or will Jay unknowingly lead Silas to his gal? Slow West is propelled by its great characters and cast. First time writer and director John Maclean has full control of this film and while it may be too slow for some, he succeeds in getting the audience to its inevitable finale caring about the characters and their fates. Overall throughout the film I was only mildly compelled by Slow West and without the intriguing characters, I would of been uninterested. That's what Fassbender and McPhee are their for, tremendously portrayals of their well written characters.

While Slow West will most likely miss my top 5 of 2015 so far list, it was an interesting and different look into the West. Hold on and focus on the characters to get you to the extremely effective and absorbing ending.

(2015) Slow West WESTERN ART HOUSE

Written and directed by John Maclean directing art house movie of young Irish teenage boy, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) attempting to find his young crush, Rose (Caren Pistorius ) when he used to live in Scotland, and hires bounty hunter, Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender credited as co-executive producer) to locate the house she supposed to live in. You're basically watching it for the scenery and the picturesque landscapes regular movie watchers does not have time to do often. I'd put this movie in the same category as "Hostile" from 2017, "The Power of the Dog" made 2021 and "The Homesman" to name a few.

Don't be misled by the title: this western may start slowly but sure picks up pace with an explosive finale and, while it is set in 1870 Colorado, it is shot in today's New Zealand.

Like the twice-made western "True Grit", the story teams a younger person on a search with a cynical veteran: on this occasion 16 year old aristocratic and Scottish Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), searching for his lost love, and the rough, middle-aged, Irish gunslinger Silas Selleck (a superb Michael Fassbender), seeking something more pecuniary.

First-time writer and director British John Maclean has crafted an admirable film with atmospheric music, fine pacing, colourful characters, terrific scenery and a compelling narrative. By turns touching, surreal and shocking, at just 84 minutes, every scene counts and drives the story westwards and onwards to a satisfying conclusion.