Advertisement
Powered By
IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Hilary Swank stars here as a pioneer woman who volunteers to transport back to Iowa three women from her town who have all been driven mad by life on the Nebraska plains. Tommy Lee Jones (who also writes and directs) plays the shady claim-jumper she saves from hanging and press-gangs into accompanying her. So begins an arduous journey that's a kind of looking-glass western, where key constituents of the genre have been reversed. For example, it's mostly a woman-centric story, although a third-act shock changes the terms dramatically. Meanwhile, the geographical trajectory follows from west to east, from wilderness to civilisation, and that goes with the film's oblique critique of romantic ideas about the frontier. It's a tough-minded, intelligent movie, the kind John Wayne would probably have hated, and very much a 21st-century update for the form. Jones's direction is stylish and assured, and he generously gives Swank room to prove what a great actor she can be with the right material.

How to watch

Loading

Credits

Cast

rolename
George BriggsTommy Lee Jones
Mary Bee CuddyHilary Swank
Altha CarterMeryl Streep
Arabella SoursGrace Gummer
Theoline BelknapMiranda Otto
Gro SvendsenSonja Richter
Thor SvendsenDavid Dencik
Vester BelknapWilliam Fichtner
Reverend DowdJohn Lithgow
FreighterTim Blake Nelson
Aloysius DuffyJames Spader
Tabitha HutchinsonHailee Steinfeld
Buster ShaverBarry Corbin
Bob GiffenEvan Jones
Garn SoursJesse Plemons

Crew

rolename
DirectorTommy Lee Jones

Details

Theatrical distributor
Entertainment One
Released on
2014-11-21
Languages
English | Danish
Guidance
Violence, sex scenes, nudity
Available on
DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
Advertisement
Advertisement

RadioTimes.com is getting better.

Fresh new look, redesigned programme hub, richer content…

FIND OUT MORE
Advertisement