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7

FilmPhonicJun 25, 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 andAt 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.… Expand

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8

forthewatchAug 1, 2015

An absolute gem!

This is a exceedingly encouraging first bat for director John McClean. It puts a clever spin on the traditional western with its indie-like style. It's stunningly shot, scored beautifully and has a host of terrificAn absolute gem!

This is a exceedingly encouraging first bat for director John McClean. It puts a clever spin on the traditional western with its indie-like style. It's stunningly shot, scored beautifully and has a host of terrific performances (Up and coming Kodi Smit-McPhee is a standout). If you go in expecting an all guns blazing action film, you may be disappointed, if however you're looking for something different; Slow West is just that. Bravo.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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7

BrianMcCriticAug 22, 2015

This is a really solid Western love story. I appreciated the tone of the film and the way they incorporated music into the scenes keeping the tone some what playful while still having many violent moments. B+

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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5

HorseshoeLuckMay 15, 2015

Unfortunately the title of the film is accurate in embodying the essence of this film, Slow West moves just a little to slow and never really hits its stride. I don't mind a slow film as long as there is interesting dialogue or interestingUnfortunately the title of the film is accurate in embodying the essence of this film, Slow West moves just a little to slow and never really hits its stride. I don't mind a slow film as long as there is interesting dialogue or interesting characters but this film lacked both. I will say that it was very well shot and I think writer/director John Maclean shows potential and I'm looking forward to his next effort.… Expand

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6

oDjentoJul 9, 2015

Slow West is an interesting debut from John Maclean, showcasing he has an eye for framing and painting a colourful motion picture, but does so weakly. There are many problems with this film however it is not a bad film but flawed.
Firstly,Slow West is an interesting debut from John Maclean, showcasing he has an eye for framing and painting a colourful motion picture, but does so weakly. There are many problems with this film however it is not a bad film but flawed.
Firstly, the film felt unfinished. It is a short film of about 84 minutes which therefore means it rushes in its writing and so the characters don’t get time to fully develop as characters. They can seem fairly vapid at times, and because of this the chemistry between Fassbender and Smit-McPhee does not feel genuine. It seems to rush over our heads.
However, even though the characters and certain scenes may not develop properly enough, the plot still remains interesting enough to see into fruition and does not bore. It starts of pretty standardly with a plot about a boy (Smit-McPhee) travelling the desert to find his love and running into a drifter (Fassbender) who wants to escort him. The plot becomes more interesting when you find out the motives of said drifter and realise the journey to the boys love is more of a race against the clock.
Now as the movie plays you’ll notice one thing about this western; it is a very colourful and pretty western, archetypal from our typical blandly colour schemed dusty baron wasteland. Maclean has made here one of the most visually pleasing westerns out there, with his choice of filming in New Zealand being an excellent choice. It really does make this film just gorgeous and certain frames are definitely screensaver material. This is where Maclean shows he has an eye for the big screen.
One thing I did notice about this film though is that it seemed to have two kinds of segments to it. The first segment seemed to be quietly dismal and brooding in a sense, which contrasted in a sense with the more blackly comical second segment. Because of this, the film feels slightly disjointed going from the first half to the second half. However, both looked fine and were directed well but still felt in mild conflict with each other.
Finally the ending (no spoilers). The ending is filled with tragedy and ends quite bitter sweetly which is unsatisfying in a way. Albeit this, due to its bitter sweetness and non-clichéd ending it – in a sense - paradoxically also satisfies. It’s probably quite a subjective ending to most.
Overall Maclean debuts with a strong visual film that sadly has not been fully realised. Due to his visual eye though Maclean is a director to be on the look-out for in the near future.
Also, on a side note, did anyone else notice that the scene where Fassbender was introduced the leaves on the trees changed from orange the green or vice versa? I swear they did but so far no one else believes me and I’m starting to doubt whether it really did happen. Please clear this up for me as I may be going crazy.
6.5/10… Expand

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8

LeZeeSep 14, 2015

Going across the Atlantic to find the lost love.

A western movie set in the 1870 United States, but entirely shot in the New Zealand. The story of a 16 year old boy, Jay, from Scotland embarks a journey in the New World in search of hisGoing across the Atlantic to find the lost love.

A western movie set in the 1870 United States, but entirely shot in the New Zealand. The story of a 16 year old boy, Jay, from Scotland embarks a journey in the New World in search of his love, Rose. Later a bounty hunter joins him and makes sure his safe travel. Technically, it was a road movie, but reveals the plot from the other angles as well in the spare times like during camping at the nights.

The narration was too slow and the story was ordinary, but it was enough for me to get engaged. If you wait until the final scene, especially till you figure out the puzzle of the romance theme, you may like it better. The end was so good, just like what a western movie fan looking for, a gunfight. Interestingly, that was not to be heroic, except all the earlier disasters pushed for the finale and the post finale. It is rated R, because it is so brutal in some way and for being faithful to the genre.

It might not be a dream debut for the director like the big cast, the high budget and a great commercial success, but giving a satisfying movie in a simple way was his accomplishment in his first attempt. Kodi Smith-McPhee is almost 20 and he's yet to play his independent and powerful enough character that will bring acknowledgement. It was a close one, the narration started like it was his, and he was everywhere in the movie. Then going further, especially when it nears the end, he was kind of fading. But he was awesome, along with Michael Fassbender. Not a must see, as well as not refusable if you get a chance to see it.

7.5/10… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

hotfromcauldronMay 17, 2015

John MacClean’s film debut - Slow West - shows he’s heading in the right direction.
Within the first few frames there is an odd coupling of Jay and Silas , a boy and a man, a dreamer and a survivor, and civility and brutality. Colorado,John MacClean’s film debut - Slow West - shows he’s heading in the right direction.
Within the first few frames there is an odd coupling of Jay and Silas , a boy and a man, a dreamer and a survivor, and civility and brutality. Colorado, 1870, is pioneers, gangs, indians and immigrants. Trust in nonexistent , murder is as commonplace as pissing in the woods and fame is measured by the size of your reward on a wanted poster. Fassbender is understated, Smit-Mcphee is innocence, supporting characters are quirky and dialogue is quip. There are golden nuggets to pan in this love story with a bloody good ending.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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2

foxgroveJun 27, 2015

The slow in the title is the perfect adjective for this arty western about a love struck boy and a bounty hunter who become companions whilst searching for the same girl, although for entirely different reasons. The film’s destination,The slow in the title is the perfect adjective for this arty western about a love struck boy and a bounty hunter who become companions whilst searching for the same girl, although for entirely different reasons. The film’s destination, however, becomes almost irrelevant as the lack of any real dramatic incident leaves one completely indifferent to where events are heading.
Despite a manageable running time this journey becomes something of an endurance test that even the talents of Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn can do nothing to enliven. What little back story there is doesn’t answer questions like why the girl is an outlaw; how the boy knew how to find her, and how he got from Scotland to America considering his naiveté and lack of funds. A few moments do manage to stir one to attention and the beautiful New Zealand locations and a haunting score provide some compensation. Also, as the boy, Kodi Smit-McPhee gives a likeable and sympathetic performance. Unfortunately, though, these positives aside the film just isn’t either different enough or interesting enough to be memorable.… Expand

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6

TyranianDec 25, 2019

Decent western with some nice visuals and performances, nothing too original though.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

quincytheodoreNov 26, 2015

A display of contrasting moral and deceptively funny journey to the west.

Slow West is a very humble and honest title, the movie delivers exactly that, a road trip in the wild west with an innocent man, a bounty hunter and all sort ofA display of contrasting moral and deceptively funny journey to the west.

Slow West is a very humble and honest title, the movie delivers exactly that, a road trip in the wild west with an innocent man, a bounty hunter and all sort of outlaws. The pace has a resemblance to Tarantino’s movie, surprisingly Inglorious Basterds not Django Unchained. It has a deliberate screenplay that focuses on few characters at a time and calmly set the tone for western thriller.

Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a man searching for his lost love. Alone in the cruel western frontier, he immediately crosses path with Silas (Michael Fassbender). Silas has been exposed to the way of the gun for too long and he's pretty sarcastic about Jay's quest.

Nevertheless, he takes a sum of money for protection and the two ride off to west while meeting unsavory characters at every stop. These two leads produce strange buddy chemistry due the contrast in personalities. Viewers would easily be sympathetic to the worn out Silas and the incredibly optimistic Jay.

The pacing and screenplay are splendid, it's admittedly not fast, yet it introduces the sequences with laid back attitude. This is a very refined approach, since there are heavy themes like murder or abandonment in evidently lighthearted manner. However, the movie never becomes too melodramatic or theatrical, keeping a very accessible tone, down to its darkest scenes.

It's unequivocally good how it even maintains some nifty humor along the way. From the proverbial and literal salt on the wound to some near slapstick moments, they never seem to deter the seriousness. In fact it goes hand in hand with the rather brutal tendency, in which there's a plenty of it here, glorious gunslinger action and all that chaotic blood, this is still the wild western frontier.

Slow West is the type of movie one can pick up and be immersed in the journey. It's an indication of how sophisticated the production is, delivering heavy subjects and still able to create satire and adoration for the characters.… Expand

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8

TrilobiteGJan 2, 2016

At first, this seemed like a bleak attempt to become a soppy bond between a girl and a boy. But instead it produced a truly cruel and heartbreaking message about the tragedy that was the American Frontier whilst also giving insight to howAt first, this seemed like a bleak attempt to become a soppy bond between a girl and a boy. But instead it produced a truly cruel and heartbreaking message about the tragedy that was the American Frontier whilst also giving insight to how society began to evolve and change for empathetic meaning. Michael Fassbender once again, excels. A tweak on the opening would've made this movie better I do think.… Expand

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9

cadoverDec 2, 2016

Excellent - if you enjoy Eastwood's Unforgiven, you will most likely enjoy this. Slow West has some magical, surreal moments, not to mention the incredibly beautiful lighting throughout, like a Natural History Museum display or old NationalExcellent - if you enjoy Eastwood's Unforgiven, you will most likely enjoy this. Slow West has some magical, surreal moments, not to mention the incredibly beautiful lighting throughout, like a Natural History Museum display or old National Geographic issue come to life. Fassbender is almost too Hollywood for this little gem of a movie, but seeing as he's an executive producer on it, I guess we have to thank him for it getting made at all.… Expand

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7

JackCinnamondJul 19, 2015

Sometimes, directors/writers start off low and slowly build to their Grand feature but in today's industry that's not allowed to happen, it's either go big or go home. John McClean's debut shows he someone to be watched after tackling a genreSometimes, directors/writers start off low and slowly build to their Grand feature but in today's industry that's not allowed to happen, it's either go big or go home. John McClean's debut shows he someone to be watched after tackling a genre that's been done many times before and making it seem a little bit more fresh coupled with his artsy directing and a cast filled with fantastic almost-fresh faces and soon-to-be veterans, like Michael Fassbender, Slow West is a film to remember.

However, the film can be seen as too slow, intact with the name. Clocking in at close to an hour and twenty four minutes, you may find that it feels a lot longer, but the slow beginning and almost completely dialogue filled middle, it seems to pick up and make it all seem worth it in the final fifteen.

If you're a fan of the western genre and is looking for something fresh, I'd recommend giving Slow West a look, but it's more of a storyteller's film than a all out action adventure.… Expand

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7

sexyanneSep 17, 2015

A very good western movie. The cinematography was very fresh and original. A must watch.

Watch it here for free: http://www.watchfree.to/watch-2a2743-Slow-West-movie-online-free-putlocker.html

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5

esocidJun 7, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While certainly an entertaining movie, it's just not enough of a story beyond the premise. There could have been more to enrich the characters. There were parts that were very well done, but there were also the characteristically blunt film school techniques that just pulled me out of the moment. Was it absolutely necessary to literally pour salt in the wound? If you have a large sign that reads "SYMBOLISM" then it misses the point of including it. There was great cinematography, reminiscent of good westerns, then art-house shots thrown in just because, which I liked but made the film seem scattershot, asking myself "what style is this going to be?"

Both Smit-McPhee and Fassbender acted well, and I liked Mendelsohn's portrayal of Payne. I really wanted to like it more, but unfortunately left feeling slightly apathetic.… Expand