Deuda de honor

Riveting film about a spinster , a drifter and a peculiar promise , being slickly developed by actor-director Tommy Lee Jones . Starring Hilary Swank returns to the heights of a career that saw her win two Best Actress Oscars by the age of 30 . This is her most recent film , The Homesman in which she starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones , John Lithgow , Meryl Streep , James Spader , among others . Here Tommy Lee Jones's acting and direction are magnificent and remaining cast is pretty well , giving terrific performances . This above average film concerns about a pious , independent-minded woman called Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) is assigned by the village priest (John Lightow) to carry three women (Miranda Otto , Sonja Richter , and Grace Gummer , Meryl's Streep daughter) who have been driven mad by pioneer life . They have to be transported across the country by a covered wagon . The two-fisted woman obstinately carries out the dangerous assignment and in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) to assist her . She forces the drifter for to a journey across the plains to locate the risked destination . Both of whom are determined to find the paths , through the prairies plagued by savage Indians , until the easy civilization . This journey will bring forward the stark contrast between the values of two ways of life and the landscape transversed is both geographical and emotional .

This enjoyable film is a touching and violent Western drama with elevated cinematographic values . The movie realizes an awesome actors reunion , showing the different characters and explores their apprehension , ambitions , fears and circumstances . The two protagonists result to be a pair ¨Quixotes¨ who obstinately undertake a trip whose objective looks to fulfill a pledge by whatever means . The main character George Briggs , superbly played by Tommy Lee Jones, seems to be living resolutely in the past and while the brave spinster wishes to marry him and create a family . Support cast is frankly excellent such as Barry Corbin , William Fichtner , Evan Jones , Jesse Plemons , Grace Gummer , Miranda Otto , and Tim Blake Nelson-James Spader, this duo previously appeared in ¨Lincoln¨ along with Tommy Lee and Hailee Steinfeld's second western after her Oscar-nominated , breakout role in ¨True Grit¨ . And , of course , the great Meryl Streep in her third collaboration with Tommy Lee Jones following "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Hope Springs . Intelligent and thoughtful screenplay by Kieran Fitzgerald , Wesley Oliver and the same Tommy Lee Jones , based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout that was published in 1988 ; in fact , Paul Newman owned the rights for a time, and wanted to direct the film himself , after a number of scripts, he gave up . Sensitive and evocative musical score by Marco Beltrani (Red eye , The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada) . Special mention for glimmer and fascinating cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto he splendidly reflects the impressive outdoors from the filming locations : Lumpkin , Georgia , San Miguel County , Santa Fe , Oikay Owinger Pueblo , New Mexico . Much of the movie was shot on Tommy Lee Jones's own ranch .

The film is a nice co-production , being produced , among others , by the great producer and director , the French Luc Besson . The picture was compellingly directed by Tommy Lee Jones , being his theatrical directing debut ¨The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada¨ that won a deserved prize in Cannes , this film bears a remarkable resemblance to ¨The Homesman¨ , dealing equally with a dangerous journey plenty of contrasts , attacks and many other things . His only other directing credits were the TV movies ¨Good old boys¨ (1995) and ¨The Sunset Limited¨ (2011) with Samuel L Jackson and all of them starred by Tommy Lee Jones . ¨Homesman¨ rating : Better than average , though overlong and slow-moving . Well worth watching , it's a must see for Tommy Lee Jones enthusiasts

December 19, 2014

A homesman is someone tasked to bring people back to their homes. In this film, the people that needed safe transport are three mentally- disturbed women. Mary Bee McCuddy, a plain but hardy spinster, volunteered to be their homesman. Along the way, she rescues a old man Thomas Briggs from being hung by vigilantes and conscripts him to help her with her mission in exchange for saving his life. Together, they gather the three ladies and escort them from Nebraska homes across the dangerous Midwest prairie to a safe haven in Iowa.

Hilary Swank is an actress who had already won a couple of Oscars for playing strong women who had taken on masculine roles in life -- Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Cry" and Maggie Fitzgerald in "Million Dollar Baby". As Mary Bee McCuddy, a pioneer lady who bravely accepts a task only men are expected to do, Swank again goes on the same award-baiting path. The movie worked so well when Swank was on screen. She was absolutely compelling in this offbeat role as if this was written with her in mind. The movie was not the same when her character was not there.

Tommy Lee Jones is one actor who, as of late, had seemingly been confined to playing curmudgeonly and cantankerous old men, and his Briggs here is not any different. This film is only Jones' second directorial effort since his critically-acclaimed debut in "Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" back in 2005. As director, he was very generous to his lead female star Swank, and always gave way to let her shine. As actor, he does consistently as he is expected but this role of a grumpy old outlaw seems too familiar for him already. He wisely played Briggs with some self-deprecating humor to break the tendency of the story to become monotonously bleak.

There were some remarkable cameos from other award-winning or nominated stars in much smaller roles. John Lithgow is his usual capable self playing the Reverend Dowd who reluctantly sends McCuddy off on her task. Hailee Steinfeld plays 16-year old Tabitha Hutchinson to whom Briggs offers a surprising proposal. James Spader, in his usual over-the-top style, plays condescending hotel owner Aloysius Duffy. And last, but definitely not the least, none other than THE Meryl Streep plays perfectly kind and hospitable Altha Carter, who runs the institution in Iowa the women are headed for. These actors appear on screen for only ten minutes or so, but they leave a lasting impression.

The narrative may have been slow and desolate . However, the unusual situations, disturbing imagery, startling story developments and committed performances by the cast all keep our attention riveted. The cinematography with the muted colors worked well with the windswept landscape of its setting, as much a character in itself. The costumes and production design rang true to its mid-19th century time period. The haunting and unsettling musical score create an atmosphere of bitter emptiness. The insufferably miserable topic is clearly not for everyone. But for those who decide to give it a chance, the rewards will be satisfying. 7/10.

The Homesman, written and directed and starring Tommy Lee Jones tells the story of Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) a spinster who takes on the responsibility of bringing three insane women to Iowa where they can be taken care of.

She saves or spares the life of George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) and enlists him on her arduous five week journey.

When you see Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones, you know the acting is going to be stellar. The parts of the insane women, Arabella Sours (Grace Gummer), Theoline Belknapp (Miranda Otto), Gro Svendsen (Sonja Richter) because of the great directing remained the focus while being secondary characters. The movie had a Shakespearean feel to it and that is a great compliment. These ladies portrayed insanity, believably and that takes serious dedication and acting ability.

"The Homesman" was a tragedy and because of it, some people might not be able to pallet the story; there were some shocking attention grabbing scenes that the average viewer might not be prepared for. Those scenes, to me, were great examples of a different time, a time when life was hard and people died.

The Homesman is a story that sits with you and makes you thankful for many things, even if it just the shoes on your feet.

Tommy Lee Jones has a wry, dry character -- rich and deep as unwatered open plains of the Americas. He's transferred his particular personality power to the story of The Homesman. He's successfully created a fine work of "auteur cinema" (much as I personally think this form rarely exists).

The Homesman is an emotionally and powerful, idea-rich, almost humorless story -- with an immense amount of humor. It has very tight, economic tale telling with no fat on the bone; in which much is implied, historical accuracy hits its target by nuance, and the story itself is deeply respectful of an intelligent audience.

The Homesman is not "entertainment" in the haha, shoot-'em-up Western sense. It's realism committed to a moral cause -- criticism of the disenfranchised, the homeless, the people who cannot make it no matter how hard they try. It has a brilliant sense of time and place that tells the life stories of dozens of hard-enduring, long-suffering "forgotten men" -- the women no less than the men.

The key heartbreaker is Hilary Swank's character of Miss Mary Bee Cuddy. She's born into a Western frontier world where she and everyone else believes and practices that "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Hard workers and decent people. But tragically that is not enough. Why? The Homesman leaves that question deliciously unanswered. Life is not fair. God is not just.

Beautifully The Homesman does -- kind of -- answer life's problems with the value of sheer vitality and gutsiness itself. Thus that key visual motif in the movie that comes from: George Caleb Bingham, "The Jolly Flatboatmen". We must dance the dance of life, however mad.

'THE HOMESMAN': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Tommy Lee Jones directed, co-wrote and stars in this western/drama film (set in the 1850s midwest) about a 'spinster' and a 'drifter' transporting three women, driven mad by the hardships of the time, across the country. It costars Hilary Swank, Miranda Otto, Grace Gummer and Sonja Richter. It also features cameos by Meryl Streep, John Lithgow, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, William Fichtner and Hailee Steinfeld. The film was written by Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver and it's based on the 1988 novel, of the same name, by Glendon Swarthout. French filmmaker Luc Besson served as a producer of the movie and it also features a breathtaking music score by Marco Beltrami. It's surprisingly dark, and extremely disturbing, but I enjoyed it due to it's strong character development, outstanding performances and odd beauty.

Swank plays Mary Bee Cuddy, a strong and independent 31-year-old woman from New York. She desperately wants to find a husband but can't, due to men finding her too plain looking (I don't think Swank looks bad at all in this movie, considering the film's time and setting). When the local reverend (Lithgow) asks for someone to transport three women across the country, to a church in Hebron Iowa, Cuddy volunteers. The women (Otto, Gummer and Richter) are all mentally ill and the church will provide the special help they need. Cuddy comes across a drifter named George Briggs (Jones), who's about to be lynched for 'claim jumping', and asks him for his help (in return for saving his life). The two make the long journey together and form an odd bond.

The movie has been called a 'feminist western', by many, and I'd definitely agree it's a strong female character study, about the hardships women faced at the time. Swank is outstanding in the co- lead and Jones is just as classic and tough as ever; he does (unintentionally I think) steal some of the female cast's thunder. Jones also proves he's an equally talented director (once again) and the movie is full of beautiful visuals, as well as haunting imagery. For me the highlight of the film is the beautiful music and the touching relationships formed by the movie's central characters (it also has a shocking and unexpected twist, at the end of the second act). It's a hard film to watch, at times, but definitely worth it; if you're a fan of the genre or even if you're not.

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