The Timber

Frustratingly incomprehensible. Meh. I don't know why young directors like long, pretentious pauses between phrases in the dialogue. Even more puzzling is why actors of the cell phone & video generation mumble & slur their lines inaudibly with affected Brando- like breathiness. Why is it de rigueur these days to shoot quick unexpected of camera cut sequences of puzzling esoteric views that resemble a Georgia O'Keeffe landscape? After 30 minutes of this kind of desultory visual rambling, one grows catatonic relative to what trickiness will come next...the eyes widen and pinwheel...the mind numbs & wanders off... But it's all damn irritating for those of us who actually expected a good tale, well-told. (All these sophomoric devices seemingly serve to cover up the lack of a good script and the absence of a worthwhile story.) This soporific "western" resembles a film school project more than a work meant for human consumption. Presumptuously pretentious, "The Timber" fails at almost every level that I've come to expect of film, except the yawn quotient.

Does anyone in this day and age know the difference between what we all call a Western and what should be called a movie about early settler days? This movie was not written, produced or directed as a western. Its simply a movie that depicted how tough life was for our ancestors when they tried to spread out about this great country. There was very little in the way pf law and order in some areas while others that were more densely populated enjoyed what we call law and order. All in all I thought it was a terrific show but I agree it was a little slow and you could start to lose interest, but just then something unexpected would happen and life went on with some major change. If people would read this review first they would more fully understand the meaning of the movie and better enjoy it. I am not claiming to be a movie critic nor an expert at all, just someone who enjoys a good movie and good acting. Thanks to you all.

Though it does not always offer a coherent narrative, I guess it works as what it is--a Western. The stars offer good performances within the narrow range the story allows. The story has some unexpected thrills and has an unhinged quality. It's beautifully filmed. Having spent some time in the Yukon when I was young, I was surprised to find out it was filmed in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. In the end, there is nothing too remarkable, and the plot has too many loose ends that I suspect are the result of working with some capable actors in bit parts, wanting to do more with them. I feel like it could have been improved with some thought and care and that it would have been worthwhile.

In the dead of winter, somewhere in the Northwest 2-brothers, Wyatt (James Ransone) and Samuel (Josh Peck) go bounty hunting for someone who has killed many people. Bringing in this killer will help them save their ranch which is about to go into foreclosure. The killer is their father whom they haven't seen since they were little boys.

The clear winners in here are the cinematography and photography. Kudos. If you did nothing else and turned the sound off and just watched the scenery including some really beautiful horses you would be ahead of the game.

The story is simple enough, but having 2-people trudge along in hip-high snow tired me out too. I was exhausted. Why were they walking? Well, they lost their cart and their horses.

One brother asks Col Rupert Thomas (Mark Caven) their guide and hired gun, "What is the Timber?" The reply was, "it's eventful." Look at The Timber as the BADLANDS. See?

So they journey on and things happen and they meet some mountain men who are bent on killing them maybe for the meat as cannibalization was not unheard of in those times in those very harsh winters.

Meanwhile the women and a baby left at home are having to deal with the Bank's henchmen who are about to evict them and reclaim land for the bank. Oh, oh! Did the bankers trick the brothers into leaving? You decide.

Sometimes in the beginning when the brothers talked to each other, it was difficult to understand what they were saying as they came down with the mumbles. That got better later on. I thought Samuel's name was Daniel because when Wyatt goes looking for him later on in some huge cave, he kept calling out what sounded like: Daniel? Daniel? Daniel? Well that is what it sounded like. Okay, I will get my ears checked. Pretty sure it was…….. Daniel. Pretty sure...........

I don't recall the music (Ears again?), and it was the scenery that kept me going. There are some scenes that were tough to watch during the fighting and tortures. I had the FF button at the ready. Make sure you do too.

Over all this is a movie you can pass on and miss nothing. But if you like to see a lot of snow all the time, and like watching people lumber along in it, this is for you.

Oh, the fighting was done mostly with knives. Hey, they had guns why didn't they use them? No one knows.

This was a western, but it wasn't that good a one. It is watchable though. (5/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes, but not too much.

-The Timber (2015) movie review: -The Timber is an indie flick that takes place in the North-west during the eighteen-hundreds. It follows two brothers who are sent to collect a dangerous bounty in exchange for keeping their family's home.

-This should have been, and could have been, really good. Unfortunately, it was not so.

-The story was unique, but the film had so much trouble focusing on the actual story instead of little side-stories all throughout.

-The pace was the worth thing about it, because it was excruciating. Nothing happens for most of the film. And when stuff actually happens, the editing is really bad, so yeah. It feels very unsatisfactory.

-The acting is fine. It stars James Ransone and Josh Peck, who I thought did a good job, but not a great job.

-The main characters are worth rooting for, but there is not much to anyone else in the film.

-I don't remember the music that much, but it was slow.

-There were some cool sequences in the film. Some good effects and a few gun fights I enjoyed.

-Even with a few cool moments and other elements that are not too bad, the pace of this movie just kills the entertainment factor. Unfortunately, The Timber is not really worth the time.

-It has some violence throughout, so probably R, but I do not remember much else in the film. I could be wrong, but I was not really paying attention too much. Because I was bored.