Review of Hostiles (2017) by Greg C — 27 Jan 2018
Life is cold, dark, unforgiving and almost without redeeming light ,... almost. Christian Bale plays Army Captain, Joseph Blocker, who in 1892 is ordered to escort an aging cancer-ridden Cheyenne chief, played by Wes Studi, and the Chief's family back to his Montana birthplace as a sort of last request fulfillment.
Captain Blocker's history makes him very reluctant to take the task. His arc towards grudging respect is therefore almost completely expected. I don't have much to say about the technical aspects.
This one is a showcase of performances. Bale, Studi, Rosamund Pike as a grieving widow are all very good. Even the second tier actors are really worth noticing. Bill Camp plays a case study in 19th century PTSD.
Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) puts in a brief appearance. I can never get enough of Ben Foster, who here plays a sort of AWAL sociopath. The real sit-up-and-take-notice performance is by Jonathan Majors.
His African American character, Henry, is very complex. Others have noted the screenplay flaws, such a too many people dying off screen. All the Western tropes of stoic men, and sporadic gun play are in effect here.
This is a good movie, and if it is your type of movie, you probably already know that it is for you.
This review of Hostiles (2017) was written by Greg C on 27 Jan 2018.
Hostiles has generally received positive reviews.
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