Review of The Proposition (2005) by Bob W — 28 Sep 2009

I really liked this one. Guy Pearce's outlaw makes a deal with a police captain (Winstone) to snuff his psychotic, warrior-poet brother (Huston) in order to keep his mentally-fragile younger brother (Wilson) from the noose.

Winstone puts in a blinding performance as a man trying, in vain to retain some semblance of honour and civility in a harsh and barbarous outback; Emily Watson, as his wife, represents the world he left behind and wants to rebuild. Pearce works as the outlaw torn between his two unhinged siblings, retaining just enough self-possession to be sympathetic. Actually, a major triumph of this screenplay is that most of the characters, even the most reprehensible (except Eden Fletcher) have at least one likeable trait or feature about them.

The whole film has an air of nuance and understatement about it; many of the more gruesome acts mentioned occur offscreen, and certain scenes, including the more violent ones, have an almost lyrical gentility about 'em. That's the touch of the Red Right Hand right there!

This film serves as a credit to both its stars and its crew; Nick Cave's talent lies not in verse alone...