Review of Slow West (2015) by Filmphonic — 24 Jun 2015

At first glance ‘Slow West’ seems like a traditional Western that touches but doesn’t rely on the archetypes and clichés of the genre, while in his directorial debut, artist/musician turned writer/director John Maclean beautifully and candidly paints a new picture of the brutality and promise of the old American West.

But at its heart ‘Slow West’ is a sort of Greek tragedy in a Western setting but with a somewhat hopeful twist and a nontraditional take on the unrequited love story.

Much had been made of the film’s style being influenced by the tone and dark humour of the “Coen Brothers” and the vivid visual style of Wes Anderson, indeed ‘Slow West’ probably shares more with ‘No Country for Old Men’ than it does with any Western but Maclean makes the mix work within the genre and the result is very much his own.

Rarely has the American West looked so vivid & vibrant as it does in this film but perhaps that’s because it was shot in New Zealand, still the choice to use the place that stunningly brought “Middle Earth” to life was a good one and breathes new life into a very familiar setting.

As the name might suggest, ‘Slow West’s’ pace is an issue for some, as is the lack of a real back-story and character motivation, but at 84 minutes long this little “indie” gem cuts down the fat and while it may be moody and poetic at times, it’s purposeful and direct when it needs to be and is anchored by a strong lead performance from young Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and his “chaperone” Michael Fassbender, both of whom you will see in the next “X-Men” movie.

The Bottom Line….

A British and Kiwi take on a quintessentially American genre, ‘Slow West’ is a lean, well-formed and alluringly gritty little film, a strong debut from Scottish director John Maclean and one of the better films of 2015 so far.