Review of The Homesman (2014) by Archie W — 09 May 2015
The Horseman started off promising with a strong female protagonist (Hilary Swank's Mary Bee Cuddy) and a likable yet unsavory curmudgeon (Tommy Lee Jones' George Briggs) but unfortunately veers off when Cuddy's seemingly strong character is revealed to actually be weak and, yes, pathetic. The movie could've been stronger if we got more of Cuddy's backstory that could help with plot holes (for example, why was she in the territory alone and since she hails from New York doesn't she know that the territory is dangerous?) and if we saw more of the instances of heartbreaking hardships that led to the three women's mental demise. As it is, pretty much all male characters* in this movie are assholes or rapists and the female characters are fragile. (*except for John Lithgow's preacher man).
I give the movie two stars because of the acting strength of Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones. Other than that, meh.
This review of The Homesman (2014) was written by Archie W on 09 May 2015.
The Homesman has generally received positive reviews.
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