Slow West (2015) User Reviews (170)

A wry exploration of the human condition.

[padwoir · 8/10 · 14 July 2015]

This is my first review, I wanted to save it for a movie that I was touched by and one that gave me something I didn't expect, in essence a film that gave me everything that I thought it wouldn't.

Slow West magnificently portrays the human condition, with all it's defects and strengths. It rather wonderfully and in a very subtle way exposes it's capacity for love and betrayal, loyalty and mistrust, fear and courage. It reveals to us that desperate good people do terrible things to survive in hard times, how hard bitten and essentially broken souls have the means and wherewithal to do good and be forgiving. It shows how we can be innocent and naive and yet still be able to teach, how we can be overly aggressive and yet protective, greedy yet also so very giving. The true wonder of this film is to me is that it exposes to us that all of us can be all of the above at some point in our lives, that we all have the capacity for evil or good and sometimes it is only circumstance that turns us either onto or away from a particular path. It's theme to me is the delicate balance between success and death in the American west during that period from the standpoint of choices made, and to my mind I think it succeeds in portraying this exceptionally well.

Many of the reviews I have read on here in regards to this film say it is far too slow, I don't think it is at all, it is a journey, a gradual layering of the story building to a climax, it is not supposed to be action and bells and whistles from the off, I think it is a film that ultimately is trying to make you think; you are invited to explore who we are and what we are capable of as humans in hostile conditions.

The performances are excellent all round, the thoroughly underrated Ben Medelsohn particularly as the 'realist' outlaw and Michael Fassbender who commands the screen in all his scenes, as he so often does. I think the writing of the dialogue is fantastic and nuanced, the humour dry and cleverly interspersed and the attention to period detail almost faultless. My only gripe is that there are a couple of scenes that don't seem to fit the narrative, maybe that is what slows this film down for some.

I understand that that this kind of western or period drama for that matter is not to everyones taste, that for many 'action' is the byword by which these films stand or fall, well to that I say to each their own. If however you are keen to watch a movie that attempts to reflect back to you just what it means to be a person with all a persons flaws, and how circumstance can shape us into the judged or judgemental, then this very well may be a worthwhile watch for you.

The Western love child of Wes Anderson and the Coens.

[Ser_Stephen_Seaworth · 8/10 · 8 April 2015]

The first thing I noticed about Slow West is how much better Michael Fassbender's American accent has improved, especially in comparison to his drawl in 12 Years a Slave. There are still traces of his foreign heritage in his voice, but he's got the cadence and timbre of it down-pat here, which is certainly a boon here, as he also adopts the role of narrator in writer/director John Maclean's tough yet quietly funny romp through the frontier.

Why is it tough? Because Maclean doesn't hesitate in showing that the West was unforgiving; people die with almost alarming suddenness and violence, and not a single one of them gets a languishing death soliloquy. It's all a great shock to young Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit- McPhee), a Scottish émigré who ventured out West not to seek fame or fortune, but rather the love of his life, who fled their homeland after an accident Jay feels responsible for. Jay, the upper-crust scion of a well-to-do family, is unprepared for the harshness of the climate, and the opening credits have barely begun to roll before he's looking down the barrel of a gun. It's only by the grace of God and the quick reflexes of gunslinger Silas (Fassbender) that Jay gets out unscathed.

Silas, a gruff and opportunistic sort, takes the job of "chaperoning" Jay through the territory, ostensibly to make an easy buck—but there are truer, darker intentions lurking within him. See, Silas is a bounty hunter, and his target happens to be one John Ross (Rory McCann) and his daughter Rose (Caren Pistorius), the latter of whom happens to be Jay's inamorata. Neglecting to mention that his beloved is a wanted fugitive with a $2,000 price tag on her head, Silas tries to instill Jay with enough street smarts to get him through the journey. Unfortunately, some lessons take more quickly and harshly than others.

And yet, the film has a light touch of humor to it that, when paired with the frank grimness of the West, works wonders. Maclean peppers the film with sublime sight gags and, in one instance, an outlaw's recollection of a former colleague's disappointment at not having his own wanted poster that could've come right out of the works of Mark Twain. Maclean's film also owes a debt, I feel, to True Grit; the two films feel like they could be spiritual twins.

Unlike most of the genre, Slow West doesn't revel in the wide-open Leone-esque expanses of the frontier. Instead, it's squared off in a narrow frame by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, giving it a more intimate flair. Nevertheless, the film is quite lovely to look at. The color palette is striking and, if I didn't know better, I'd have thought Wes Anderson had decided to saddle up for a Western. Certain shots pop, like young Jay wading through the ashen remains of an Indian camp or of a character being abandoned in the desolate prairie with nothing but his longjohns and a blanket.

Smit-McPhee, quickly proving himself to be able to transition from his child actor years to adulthood, stands his ground admirably in the part. He also has a skill with silent comedy; most of the audience's guffaws came at Jay's befuddled reactions. Fassbender, who I feel works best when he isn't trying to crank up the intensity, feels very relaxed, giving perhaps his best performance in years. The bulk of the film focuses on just these two actors, although occasionally they share screen time with some colorful characters, including Ben Mendelsohn as a wily, cigar-chewing outlaw. Mendelsohn has been a personal casting choice for a Blood Meridian adaptation, and this would make a hell of an audition reel for it.

Despite its humor, Slow West does have an air of solemnity to it. There is the air of lost love, and not just in Jay's desperate struggle to reunite with Rose. There is also a somber sense of loss for that world. In one crucial scene, Jay meets a German anthropologist out in the wilderness, who openly laments the oncoming extinction of the native tribes in the area and the damages of white expansionism. At one point, the man smiles forlornly and says, "In a short time, this will seem like a long time ago." That line, more than any other moment in the film, lingers in the mind.

Slow pace builds to an energetic ending

[Lecart · 8/10 · 27 July 2015]

Slow West tells the story of Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a naive and courageous kid who embarks on a dangerous journey to the West, determined to find his love, a beautiful young woman, Rose (Caren Pistorius). He meets and accepts the guidance of Silas (Michael Fassbender), a laid-back gunslinger versed in the ways of the West.

Jay, an idealist and a neophyte to the perils of the wilderness, illustrates a touching contrast between his educated, delicate nature and the wickedness around him.

The director (John Maclean) controls and carefully addresses all his characters, adds purpose and exquisite emotion, portraying the fragile yet ambitious Jay in a story set with a glance of surrealism.

It is not a typical action-packed western, but it is a treat with its stunning cinematography, framing intimate and colorful scenes, both subtle and vivid comical situations and characters, a well-paced feel-good experience.

Aptly Named and Surreal

[SLUGMagazineFilms · 30 January 2015]

In what may be one of the most aptly-named films at this year's festival, Slow West is in no hurry to tell the story of Scotsman Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and his continent-spanning quest to find Rose (Caren Pistorius), the long-lost love from his hometown. Things get complicated when a desperado named Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) decides to accompany Cavendish on his journey—possibly to cash in on a bounty that hangs over Rose's head. Taking a cue from neo-westerns like Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, Slow West uses the chaotic landscape of the American frontier as an allegorical exploration of love and death. There is something surreal about seeing the old west interpreted through the lens of New Zealand where the film was shot, and it added to the story's dreamlike tone. The immensely watchable Fassbender exudes some serious Han Solo vibes as he guides Cavendish through the unforgiving wilderness while trying to act like he doesn't give a crap. McPhee's boyish, innocent appearance is ideal for a character whose belief in true love has guided him so far into the lions' den. While the film's ending is sure to polarize audiences, it was a ballsy way to emphasize the point that the frontier was an ecosystem all its own, indiscriminately filling some hearts with purpose and others with bullets.

Slow and steady won this race.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 6 June 2015]

Slow West may live up to it's title but it also proves that a slow pace does not mean it can't be action laced, fun and exciting.

Michael Fassbender does an old school style western that reminds me of Eastwood in his glory days. He portrays a man helping a boy from Scotland find his sweetheart who had to skip the country and head to America's West.

The movie was visually stunning as the filmmaker used a lot of cool camera tricks to make the Frontier look like colorful art work.

Went to see the movie cause Michael Fassbender was in it and I got real nervous as the picture started and I realized how slow it was going, but even though the pace staid slow the energy of the movie does not.

Slow west is filled with all the good stuff you loved, with Michael Fassbender playing the anti hero and Ben Mendelsohn playing the colorful villain. Even the fact that it was shot beautifully in New Zealand is a homage to the old school westerns that were shot in Italy.

Nothing but cool.

Well made but not for everyone

[lance-00478 · 6/10 · 23 October 2015]

I'm a huge fan of the Western genre. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of my all time favorite films and I'm always on the lookout for a modern western that can kick-start the genre. I was hoping this would be the film but unfortunately I don't think most people will find it appealing. The acting is top notch, especially from Fassbender and Mendelsohn, but ultimately the pace and the melancholic ending will leave most people wanting more. If you liked the look and feel of The Homesman or the slow burn of Meek's Cutoff check this film out. If your looking for an action western with a Hollywood ending then this is a film you should skip.

A Quality Different Western

[reviewsbycaleb · 7/10 · 19 July 2015]

Just a quick review here, Slow West is one of those Indie films in redbox I have wanted to catch up with before I do my best films of 2015 so far. Anything with Michael Fassbender in it is worth seeing and am also a big fan of the always gruesome Ben Mendelsohn. Violence is present throughout.

Slow West is an unusual Western about a young Scottish man/boy, Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is in love and due to a tragedy that he claims to be his fault, his love had to flee to the West. On his way to the west Jay has a run in with some men having a "hunting party" for Indians. At gunpoint and not knowing what to do, Jay is rescued? by Fassbender's character, Silas. They agree to a deal where Silas will protect and lead him to the West for a hundred dollars. Along the way the audience learns that Silas is truly just using Jay in a diabolic way, and that Jay's love Rose and her dad, have a $2,000 bounty on their bodies and Silas wants to collect.

On their way, encounters with Bandits and people of many kinds are frequent. Silas also learns a lot about Jay and sometimes seems to becoming fond of him but you are never really sure if Silas is using or helping Jay. Narrating, Silas says about Jay "That kid was a wonder. He saw things differently. To him, we were in a land of hope and good will." The uncertain relationship and even at times, a seeming mentor-ship between Silas and Jay is a component in Slow West that outright works. Will Silas help Jay save his gal or will Jay unknowingly lead Silas to his gal? Slow West is propelled by its great characters and cast. First time writer and director John Maclean has full control of this film and while it may be too slow for some, he succeeds in getting the audience to its inevitable finale caring about the characters and their fates. Overall throughout the film I was only mildly compelled by Slow West and without the intriguing characters, I would of been uninterested. That's what Fassbender and McPhee are their for, tremendously portrayals of their well written characters.

While Slow West will most likely miss my top 5 of 2015 so far list, it was an interesting and different look into the West. Hold on and focus on the characters to get you to the extremely effective and absorbing ending.

I just loved it!

[annmoore · 10/10 · 25 June 2015]

Many of the reviews here seem to be written by contributors who take their cinema VERY seriously (not that there's anything wrong with that, as Jerry Seinfeld would say!). However, my take on Slow West is that I just loved it. It was a beautiful story with a great ending and it was a pleasure to see it all condensed into 84 minutes and not follow the new 'value for money' 3 hour epic scenario that a lot of films seem to be going for these days. All of the actors were superb and I loved the occasional quirky characters that showed up, especially the Congolese trio singing away in the middle of nowhere! So, in my humble opinion, Slow West is a good traditional enjoyable Western movie and that's it!

Not Your Typical Western

[larrys3 · 7/10 · 11 July 2015]

This is not your typical Western film as, at times, it has rather a farcical and fantasy-like tone to it. There's a top-notch cast here and, overall, I enjoyed the movie, as it kept my interest throughout wondering how it would all turn out.

Set in 1870, Kodi Smit-McPhee stars as Jay Cavendish, a terribly naïve and idealistic Scottish teen, of blue blood heritage, who's ventured to the Wild West of America. He's in search of whom he regards as his one true love Rose (Caren Pistorious), who has fled Scotland with her father John (Rory McCann) after a scuffle outside their home led to the accidental death of Jay's father Lord Cavendish.

On horseback in the dangerous Colorado Territory, Jay is saved by the veteran outlaw Silas, portrayed by the great actor Michael Fassbender. Silas quickly sizes up the precarious situation Jay is in and offers his protection for a price, to guide Jay to Caren.

Alas, though, Silas discovers a wanted poster, at a trading post, offering a huge bounty for Rose and her father, either dead or alive. The question will be if Silas will lead Jay to Rose and John and then capture or kill them all.

However there's another bounty hunter ahead of them, plus Silas' former gang of outlaws, led by Payne, played by the fine actor Ben Mendelsohn, is trailing them as well, all looking for the huge reward. You can see this is all leading to a wild and very violent finale, which will also contain some surprises.

All in all, if you expect this rather farcical Western, capably written and directed by first-time filmmaker John Maclean, to have completely credible plot elements you may become frustrated. However, led by some fine acting, along with some humor, I found quite a bit to like here, and, overall, it was entertaining to me.

One of the better Westerns of the 21st Century

[MattBirk · 8/10 · 14 July 2015]

Slow West may be a pretty straightforward western on paper, but what makes it stand out is that everyone involved in the film gives it their best. From the acting to the gorgeous scenery, the movie looks great. Some have bashed the movie for being slow paced and too simple, but that seems to be the point of the film. We slowly explore the various obstacles that the west had to offer, whether good or bad. And having the main character come from the far east (Scotland) with a different, more optimistic perspective on life, makes his interactions in the American West quite interesting. That being said, the movie holds multiple surprises and enjoyable scenes that showcase the deadly west.

At the heart of the movie, this is a character drama where interactions between characters are meant to be the shining points of the movie. That being said, the movie works because Fassbender and Snit-McPhee are phenomenal together. This is a different take on the western genre (this isn't your father's western), Fassbender plays the typical nomad, but Smit-McPhee plays a fish out of water. He truly does not belong in the west and the movie shows us multiple times where he is flat out helpless.

And yes, there is a shoot-out at the end of the movie (can't be a western without a final showdown), but it is the events leading up to this moment that makes the movie pleasurable. Simple western scenarios are spun in a different manner because the characters in said situations aren't made for the brutal western lifestyle.

In an era of film where westerns have become a thing of the past (though they seem to be making a comeback), Slow West is one of the better westerns to come along in quite a long time. And since the movie is only 84 minutes long, the movie is short and sweet and gets to the point very quickly. There is not much to dislike here, especially the beauty of the New Zealand countryside.

A competent coming-of-age tale.

[BrentHankins · 7/10 · 14 May 2015]

After a grueling journey from Scotland to America on a quest to reunite with his beloved, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) crosses paths with a mysterious drifter named Silas (Michael Fassbender) in the forests of Colorado. It's fortuitous timing, as Jay has gotten himself into a bit of trouble, and Silas understands that violence is necessary in order to survive in the west - a concept which the timid youth struggles to grasp.

For a price, Silas offers to accompany Jay on his journey to locate his sweetheart - although as we learn through a series of flashbacks sprinkled throughout the film, Rose (Caren Pistorius) may not be terribly excited to see Jay again. But she'll almost certainly be less excited by an introduction to Silas, who knows that a reward has been offered for the capture of Rose and her father (Rory McCann) in relation to a crime that occurred before their journey to America.

Further complicating matters is Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) and his group of bounty hunters, with whom Silas has a prior relationship. After crossing paths with Jay in the woods, Payne and his men seem to always be lurking just out of sight, lending the latter half of the film a near-constant sense of foreboding as we keep waiting for them to strike.

Slow West gradually peels back the layers of its narrative while constantly remaining focused on the burgeoning friendship between Jay and Silas. Despite his distaste for ferocity, Jay finds himself becoming increasingly reliant on Silas and his wisdom, while Silas tries to fight a growing desire to protect the boy from the dangers of a world he isn't prepared for.

Director John MacLean (who also wrote the screenplay) gives the quieter moments just enough room to breathe before punctuating them with instances of absurdly black humor or sudden, brutal flashes of violence, both of which seem to have been influenced by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. Of particular note is a tense, riveting shootout during the film's climax, featuring a moment so farcical that I burst out laughing in spite of the on screen carnage. It's the kind of thing only the most competent of filmmakers could get away with, and MacLean absolutely nails it.

But despite MacLean's prowess as a writer and director, Slow West ultimately succeeds on the strength of its cast, with Smit-McPhee as the wide-eyed innocent and Fassbender as the grizzled, trail-weary wanderer. Mendelsohn deserves a nod for being suitably creepy as the flick's sort-of villain, but at its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about a young man in need of a strong role model and father figure, who finds it in the most unlikely of places.

Superb Western of an entirely different breed

[wfairfan · 9/10 · 4 September 2018]

Most Westerns are, well, pretty formulaic, with a few novel characters and dependence on violent imagery to fill the 90-120 minutes in today's cinema. This film offers lush imagery of western landscapes, beautifully photographed, a heart-tugging romantic quest, and a story of redemption for at least one character with an admittedly shady past.

The story centers on a young Scot's quest to reunite with his true love, Rose, another Scottish immigrant making a new life in the closing days of the still-perilous wild west. He travels at first alone, spurred both by love and the idealized vision of a peaceful, tranquil west he has read about in books.

After a near fatal incident, he is joined by a veteran guide/frontiersman who offers to guide him to his reunion many miles further west. There are surprises, hidden agendas, poetic romantic reminiscences, and-yes- violent encounters, all contributing to a well-paced, gripping and oft times, moving story.

I cannot remember a film of this genre so diverse and gorgeous. Well done. More!!!

slow burning western

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 2 November 2015]

It's 1870. 16 year old Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is alone leaving Scotland to chase after his love Rose Ross (Caren Pistorius) into the American West. He encounters native villagers who are hunted by Indian fighters. Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) rescues him from the ruffians. Silas insists on traveling with the naive boy. Silas discovers that Rose and her father have a $2000 bounty on their heads. Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) leads a ragtag team looking to take the bounty.

It's a New Zealand/UK western. It's a slow burning road trip. There are big explosive scenes but mostly it's quiet. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Michael Fassbender are a low energy duo. The robbery of the general store is quite intense. The action scenes are shot stylistically rather than with intensity. I didn't really get involved with the characters but there are a couple of good scenes. It's the first full-length feature for director/writer John Maclean.

The narrative of John Maclean's first film Slow West never entirely convinces

[Likes_Ninjas90 · 5/10 · 2 June 2015]

While stylistically unique in imagery and tone, the latter wavering between gritty and darkly comic, the narrative of John Maclean's first film Slow West never entirely convinces. It is possibly due to the minor running time of barely eighty minutes long. Set in America in 1870, the film is about sixteen year old Scottish lad Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a well educated, multilingual and determined fellow who's out of his depth in the violence of the West. While Indians are being slaughtered by Americans and their camps are being burnt to the ground, Jay searches for Rose (Caren Pistorious), the girl he loves. Rose and her father escaped Scotland after an accident involving Jay. After walking through the woods and being held at gunpoint, Jay is rescued by Silas (Michael Fassbender), an outlaw who shoots a soldier dead while still holding a cigar in the corner of his mouth. For a fee he escorts Jay across the countryside to find Rose and is surprised by the boy's optimism. His voice-over states: "To him we were in a land of hope and good will. The way I saw it, kick over any rock and a desperado will knife you in the heart." Their contrast in attitudes to the West reflects their life experience. Meanwhile, Silas' former gang, led by Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), continues to stalk them.

After making a short film with Maclean, Michael Fassbender opted to star and produce this debut film to guarantee its financing and exposure. There are however noticeable problems with the context of Maclean's script. An early twist in the piece is that Silas is using Jay to lead himself to Rose. There's a bounty on the head of herself and her father that Jay doesn't know about. The twist builds dramatic irony because we wonder if Jay will discover Silas' intentions. But it's contrived and implausible the West somehow knows about people all the way from Scotland, including having them on a wanted posted, and that Rose would be wanted dead or alive for something that wasn't her fault. Similarly, how Silas came to discover Jay's whereabouts is sketchy, hastily explained through the voice-over which says he's been tracking him. The weak exposition and geography of the characters continues into the bloody finale. Rose is living with her father and an Indian in a cabin in an open field, which isn't secluded for people in hiding. She is also more world-weary and skeptical of people than her father and a crackshot with a rifle. Even though this is a movie about adaptation, the story shapes Rose not through progression but as it pleases. Additionally, the brief flashbacks to Scotland show how Rose and Jay are from different classes of family, and how she only sees him as a brother, which is another good twist, but the brevity of these scenes suggests this was a longer film cut right down to size.

Some will argue Slow West isn't a film to be judged on authenticity or realism. It was filmed in New Zealand, which proves an attractive substitute for a typical Western location. The woodlands here, photographed through wide and long shots, characterise the narrative as a fairytale where a young man finds himself in the physical danger and metaphor of the forest. The film is aiming to become a semi-comic, tragic love story and a Darwinian examination of those adapting to the West. Jay meets a writer in a travelling caravan who tells him it's a new world for them and the Indians. Like the Indians who die, some will not survive the brutality of the West where money and personal ambition leads to uncontrollable violence. But adding surrealism is an obtuse stylistic goal, only for art-house posturing. There are strange unexpected shots in the film like a low angle to the sky where Jay aims his gun and makes the stars appear and weird episodes like Jay's encounter with the travelling writer. Also bizarre is a dream sequence with Rose and a baby, where I wasn't entirely sure if the dream belonged to Jay or Silas or both men collectively. While you appreciate the originality, it feels showy or lacking in purpose and meaning.

The two lead performances aren't hugely stretched by the minimalist dialogue and characterisation but work best in close-up shots. Smit-McPhee is a good young actor and while it's not a role that shows a huge spectrum of emotion, it's in the tighter shots like when he is being interrogated by Payne that he shows nervous energy in the character. Michael Fassbender is a solid presence whose best technique here is acting without dialogue, using his eyes, but there aren't that many close-ups in the film to give him the opportunity. His character changes, unlike Jay who doesn't have an arc but persists with his goal. Even a desperate immigrant he kills in a strong early scene is superfluous to the emotion or the interior of his character. The climax of the film robs him of learning anything or reaching a point of understanding about the West. The ending is also implausible and convenient, adjoining two characters who barely know each other. Could it be another dream? Maybe it's a case of the film being too brief because while it touches on immigrants, adaptation and change, it doesn't always seem credible.

An accomplished and satisfying directorial debut

[rogerdarlington · 28 June 2015]

Don't be misled by the title: this western may start slowly but sure picks up pace with an explosive finale and, while it is set in 1870 Colorado, it is shot in today's New Zealand.

Like the twice-made western "True Grit", the story teams a younger person on a search with a cynical veteran: on this occasion 16 year old aristocratic and Scottish Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), searching for his lost love, and the rough, middle-aged, Irish gunslinger Silas Selleck (a superb Michael Fassbender), seeking something more pecuniary.

First-time writer and director British John Maclean has crafted an admirable film with atmospheric music, fine pacing, colourful characters, terrific scenery and a compelling narrative. By turns touching, surreal and shocking, at just 84 minutes, every scene counts and drives the story westwards and onwards to a satisfying conclusion.

Lack of character backstories and lack of decent villains leads to a lackluster film

[texshelters · 6/10 · 31 May 2015]

Slow West--Riding without a Cause

Slow West is a new film featuring Michael Fassbender. And yes, you smart readers, it's a Western. It hits all the benchmarks of a Western horse movie: a stranger new to the West, an outlaw of questionable character, a bounty hunters, really bad outlaws, an outpost, and a few Native Americans and others. However, they have little to do with the action.

One character is looking for his true love. We forgive him, for he is young. The other character, a wishy washy anti-hero bounty hunter, is 'helping' this young man. It's interesting, and the visual are out of Wyeth painting, but it's hard to care much.

We don't know why characters turn, we don't understand why the family has a bounty on their head, we don't get enough back story. While I know we are sophisticated movie goers in the 21st Century, we still like to see the motives for our characters, what drives them, what leads them to act as they do. There isn't enough exposition. There was certainly time in this lovely 90 minute film to let us in on the secrets of the characters.

Top stars: the music and the cinematography. It looks and sounds delicious. The acting is okay, but not spectacular. However, the main problem was with the writing. The story just wasn't compelling enough. It would have also helped if the film featured a really nasty villain, not just a nebulous undefined band of loons. Westerns benefit from good villains and clear motives, two things Slow West is lacking. Rating: Matinée

It is entertaining enough and there are enough plot twists to recommend this film. Go to the theaters just to see the wonderful photography. Peace, Tex Shelters

Slow story, very pretty to watch, great audio, and that's all

[derekprice1974 · 6/10 · 26 April 2015]

The only reason I watched this movie, a western, was because it had Michael Fassbender in it, who I have a true admiration/lust for, and it was only 90 minutes long. I figured I could handle that length of time.

I am not going to describe the plot because the tagline/description in IMDb sums it up nicely. I read reviews stating that the film had bursts of humor in it. I counted 2 bursts of humor that made me laugh out loud. The story itself was stretched to fill the 90 minutes. If you are a fan of slow westerns, then you may really like it. There really isn't much here other than a beautiful video of New Zealand showing a few people riding horseback, having minimal dialogue, a few odd adventures, and a very violent ending. I gave it a 6 out of 10. I almost quit watching about 40 minutes in, but I decided to stick out the remaining 50 minutes.

Has all the ingredients but not the recipe.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 6/10 · 16 July 2015]

I should have loved Slow West. People call it, for better or worse, as if Wes Anderson made a Western. That is not the case. Slow West may have his sense of pacing when it comes to the editing room, but it doesn't know how it use it. As such, Slow West is void of tension or sufficient humour. I don't mind wistful Westerns on small treks across the wilderness, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man is in my top 10 of all-time, but Slow West doesn't have the material. To its credit, the music and the photography for the most part are gorgeous. It's a film with a confident style, but an inadequate one. Especially at the end, the production design fails to look lived-in, though fortunately the costume design does. Ultimately, the story is just too thin, Westerns are supposed to say something about the American dream, but it feels like Slow West picked on it just to be stylish. I's not a failure, the tragic irony at its end is obvious but it isn't stilted as the film's bloodless deaths still carry their weight, it's just a missed opportunity.

6/10

A unique and revisionist Western with an outstanding cast

[estebangonzalez10 · 8/10 · 3 June 2015]

"A jack rabbit in a den of wolves."

After their collaboration together in two short films, John Maclean and Michael Fassbender team up for the director's feature debut in this originally fresh take on the Western genre. In Slow West we get a different glimpse of the West, avoiding the typical Americana style confrontation between cowboys and indians. Here we are introduced to a world where immigrants are trying to force their way through this lawless land. Surviving in this place has nothing to do with how well of a shot you are, it's more about luck and being at the right place at the right time. The story, which was written by Maclean, follows the journey of a 16 year old boy named Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who has traveled from Scotland to the West in search of Rose (Caren Pistorius), the woman he's in love with. Along with her father, John (Rory McCann), they had to flee from Scotland after an incident with Jay's father. Jay is clueless about the West, but determined. He runs into a former bounty hunter named, Silas (Michael Fassbender) who offers his service as his chaperon realizing he will need protection if he wants to survive in this place. What Jay doesn't know however is that there is a bounty for Rose and her father, and there are many people interested in collecting the reward. Among them there is the eccentric Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) who is an old acquaintance of Silas.

What the film does extremely well in Slow West is balance the western genre with a dry sense of humor. There are plenty of surprisingly funny moments in this film that help build the story. Through a series of fortunate (and misfortunate) events we follow these characters through their journey. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Michael Fassbender share strong chemistry together and keep us hooked during the slowly paced scene. There is a memorable scene that takes place in a store/bar during the first half of the film and a fantastic final shoot out at the end, which stands out from most Westerns. The film has a unique taste to it and some interesting characters, but the gorgeous cinematography is what stands out in this immense landscape. It's only 84 minutes long, but it is a perfect fit for this movie which ends in memorable fashion. It took its time to grow on me, but the more I think about it the more I end up liking this film. I've always been a huge fan of the Western genre, and adding Michael Fassbender to that mix only makes this an even more rewarding experience.

Slow West is stylish and uses its gorgeous landscape very well (it was actually filmed in New Zealand), but it also includes a dreamy atmosphere and plenty of humor. There is a scene during the beginning of the film where Jay is looking at the night stars and pointing his gun towards them and as he imaginarily shoots at them, they light up. There are plenty of dreamy sequences like this one, but there is also plenty of dry humor as well. There is a narration over a camp fire about an outlaw who wants his very own wanted poster. Ben Mendelsohn's eccentric coat is also a feast for the eyes which adds its comedic touch. Slow West has a great cast and it is a film worth recommending.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

More landscapes than action

[jordondave-28085 · 7/10 · 16 August 2023]

(2015) Slow West WESTERN ART HOUSE

Written and directed by John Maclean directing art house movie of young Irish teenage boy, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) attempting to find his young crush, Rose (Caren Pistorius ) when he used to live in Scotland, and hires bounty hunter, Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender credited as co-executive producer) to locate the house she supposed to live in. You're basically watching it for the scenery and the picturesque landscapes regular movie watchers does not have time to do often. I'd put this movie in the same category as "Hostile" from 2017, "The Power of the Dog" made 2021 and "The Homesman" to name a few.

A philosophical Western

[danielhirst · 9/10 · 6 August 2015]

I'm unsure what genre this film would be: it is sweet and dreamy yet contains emotional turmoil and tragedy with absurdist humour thrown in for good measure. It could be best described as an existentialist action flick.

It is set in the wild west days of northern America where the western frontier was abound with lawlessness and where life was cheap. The main protagonist is a thin, pale Scottish lad, Jay, with large blue eyes. He has arrived in America and is heading westward in search of his lost love Rose Ross. Rose and her father John were falsely accused of murder and fled Scotland. They came to start a new life somewhere in the west.

Jay is a romantic pacifist without a single violent bone in his body. He looks at the stars, ponders about the natives on the moon and recites poetry. He doesn't know how to shoot a gun nor has the gumption to use it; he is completely hopeless out in the wild. Jay meets Silas the lone ranger by happenstance and the two make a deal where Silas will escort Jay safely across the western frontier to Rose in return for a sum of money. Silas is a man of few words that carries a lot of loneliness and pain. He grew up with a gang of bounty hunters but peeled himself away from them to seek a life of peace while at the same time creating much danger to himself as the gang wants him to come back.

Initially Jay doesn't entirely trust Silas and attempts to make the journey himself a couple of times. In his final attempt, he gets seduced by Werner: a man of knowledge and wisdom who also ponders about the world like Jay. There is a segment of a philosophical discussion that takes place between them. Werner is in the process of capturing the knowledge on the lives and culture of the native Indians as, in his opinion, once they are near-extinct and become the minority to the Europeans, their culture and existence will be romanticised and exoticised without any objectivity The two spend the night wondering about time, the universe and fleeting human existence.

The scenery in the film is simply stunning and the white clarity of the sunlight adds a surreal feel to the film. It is fantastic to see the New Zealand landscape presented in its raw beauty without adulteration by any CGI which sometimes happened in other major films set in New Zealand.

As Jay and Silas continue on in their journey, we discover that there is a handsome bounty on Rose and her father and all the bounty hunters are heading out west alongside Jay and Silas. It is a matter of time before they are found dead or alive as $2000 sits on their heads and Jay and Silas must get there before the bounty hunters.

I am unsure what to make of the humour in this film except to compare it to the likes of Park Chan-wook's films (especially Old Boy). It appears at the most unfitting and inappropriate times and it is so fun and childish. For me the humour was what enhanced this film to a thinking piece rather than a western action flick; as the humour made light of the violence and carnage it brought the focus to the journey of mind and body. Overall this film far exceeded the expectation I had from its rather lacklustre title . It is stunning in its looks and its story and I would highly recommend it without a hint of patriotism.

This review is taken from www.amateurreviewspace.blogspot.com

The Things We Do For Love

[Foutainoflife · 7/10 · 31 January 2019]

Lovestruck young man travels across the ocean, then across America to the old west in search of the girl he loves. He runs into someone who can help guide him to his destination but our young man doesn't know all that his guide knows.

This was a slowly paced film but I really didn't notice it. The scenes are well shot and I always found something in each of them that kept me interested. It was well acted and the story is not bad at all. I think it was a decent film.

The name says it all

[ptolomy9 · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

Cinematic and believable. Great character development and not predictable as most movies from the movie factory seem to be churned out these days. There are always things as viewers that we'd like to change in movies, but if we could do that, we'd be producing them instead of viewing and critiquing them.

I like realistic and unpredictable. This movie was overall quite enjoyable. Worth a watch in my opinion

Perpetually odd and surprising

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 3 August 2015]

The filmmaker's obsession with the Old West never seem to cease, whether it be the rough-and-tumble tales of black vs. white of the 50's, the sweat-drenched stand-off's of the European low-budget efforts of the 60's and 70's, or the revisionist approaches that enjoyed a re-emergence in the mid-2000's, the harsh plains of America's darkest period seem to fascinate every new generation, all of which have a different take on a period that has taken on a mythic quality. Following a couple of successful shorts working with Michael Fassbender, Man on a Motorcycle (2009) and Pitch Black Heist (2011), director John Maclean from The Beta Band makes his feature- length debut with Slow West, a suitably slow-burning and simple tale of lost love, set to the backdrop of violence and a country in unrest.

Scot Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is an opportunistic young dreamer who arrives in America in the hope of claiming his lost love. We first meet him at night aiming his gun at the stars, pondering the possibilities of this new land. He then witnesses the execution of Native American's for sport by a gruff Union leader, who is then killed by a skilled bounty hunter named Silas Selleck (Fassbender). Silas agrees to take Jay under his wing, and as their story develops, we soon learn that they are hunting for the same thing for very different reasons. Through flashbacks, we learn that back in Scotland, Jay fell in love with a beautiful girl below his social class, Rose (Caren Pistorius), who could only return platonic love. Along with her father (Rory McCann), Rose fled her homeland after a bounty is placed on their head.

Slow West depicts an America that is simultaneously familiar yet unfamiliar. It is the dusty west of the revisionist westerns of recent years where violence comes as second-nature to its inhabitants, and the mountains and woods are filmed with the same sense of wonder and impending danger that has become synonymous with the genre. Yet, the landscape is also alive with colour and natural beauty, as if the flowers were blooming with as much fruitless optimism as Jay's quest to rescue his love, which is frequently placed in peril by the likes of Swedish bandits or the ever-looming Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), a fellow bounty-hunter in a ludicrous fur coat who clearly shares a history with Silas. The decision to film in New Zealand adds to the sense of displacement, as if Jay imagined the world he read about in stories only to discover that it's only half-true.

Although the film is as slow-moving as the title may suggest, the relatively short running time means that the pace is brisk and the narrative is never boring. It often feels surreal, like Jodorowsky on a mild day, producing some moments of oddball comedy juxtaposed with the spattering of bloodshed. It's also ludicrous at times - though not always in a bad way - and Maclean frequently explores the themes of man at their most primitive done many times before. But the climax is the work of a director with promise, as the bullets fly and walls become smeared in blood, it's a shoot-out that manages to retain control of the drama happening in between, as well as delivering a truly exciting set-piece. Fassbender says little but has the presence of an old soul, and Smit-McPhee, similar to his role in John Hillcoat's The Road (2009), is effective as the sad- eyed child caught up in a world he doesn't fully understand. Perpetually odd and surprising, Slow West is the melancholic work of a director to keep an eye on.

Not worth the time

[alshamari-marwa · 3/10 · 8 December 2020]

It should be called slow movie , and what is up with the camera man ? And the lights this is Horrible