Star rating – 6/10
The Hunter captures the dramatic and
hostile beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness fabulously. Willem Dafoe plays a classic
loner who is a hit man on a dubious mission, but whose experiences in the
depths of Tasmania fundamentally change him.
He has
been sent by a very shady biotech corporation to track down and kill the
elusive and near extinct Tasmanian Tiger. (Yes I know - this is now sounding a
bit farfetched). But his mission is somewhat interrupted by the relationships
he starts to form with the family with whom he has been sent to lodge.
It is
a basic morality tale of good versus evil – which is fine, except that the
morals of some of the key protagonists get a bit too blurred to hold the story line
in a convincing enough fashion. Dafoe is his usual deep, brooding and brilliant
self. But Sam Neil’s character, for example, is a bit too much of an archetypal baddie to be equally
compelling.
It is
an evocative and atmospheric piece, but ultimately the story line does not match the haunting
landscape for drama and majesty.
No comments:
Post a Comment