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Hunter (15)
© Unknown - all rights reserved |
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| Tookey's Rating |
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4
/10 |
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| Average Rating |
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5.85
/10 |
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| Starring |
Willem Dafoe  , Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill
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Directed by:
Daniel Nettheim
Written by:
Julia Leigh, Alice Addison, Wairi Fimeri, based on the book by Leigh
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| Released: |
2012 |
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| Genre: |
ADVENTURE
THRILLER
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| Origin: |
Australia |
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| Colour: |
C |
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| Length: |
144 |
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Fine landscapes, poor script. |
Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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The reason to see The Hunter is the icy, inhospitable Tasmanian wilderness, lovingly photographed by cinematographer Robert Humphreys and director Daniel Nettheim. It’s the setting for a treasure hunt. The treasure in question is the last Tasmanian tiger, seemingly extinct since 1936, but now being pursued by a pharmaceutical firm and its expert tracker Martin (Willem Dafoe, pictured).
Martin’s the hero of the film, and it’s gripping as we watch him lay traps for the beast and survive weather conditions more dreadful than a British summer. Dafoe’s at his best without words, and he holds the attention as an amoral loner who develops a conscience as he becomes drawn to his backwoods landlady (Frances O’Connor) and her two young children.
One problem is that for the most of the movie nothing much happens – very, very slowly. Another is that the thriller elements fail to cohere with the result that, when disaster does strike, it’s far from obvious why. For that reason, the hero’s psychological journey is never as involving or momentous as it needs to be.
Memories of the landscape will stay with me for months. The story won’t.
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