Choosing which film to see is always something of a dilemma. Virtually all films are introduced by a widespread publicity campaign; stars are interviewed on talk shows; trailers are played on television – and, of course, the fact that certain stars or directors are involved further tends to cause us to look on a new production favourably.
All of these factors may well prompt us to watch News of the World, available at Telus On Demand and Hulu. Widely publicized, starring the deservedly popular Tom Hanks, and the subject of several talk show interviews, and with only one example of objectionable language, it is clearly going to be attract many viewers who will be happy they chose to see it.
The film marks a return to that once-popular genre, the Western. However, this is not a Western in the old tradition that played such a big role in my childhood. This is about no gunslinger coming to the rescue of a frontier town terrorized by some local villain, though the hero proves to be an effective gunfighter. It’s not even about some cowboy such as Roy Rogers singing to his horse between bouts of derring-do. Nor, most happily, is it about that racist travesty of the “Cowboys and Indians” genre. Instead, it is about a man in the post–Civil War period of so-called Reconstruction who ekes out a living by going from frontier town to frontier town reading, to what is presumably a largely illiterate audience, extracts from newspapers. Virtually by accident he becomes the guardian of a little white girl who has been taken and raised by Native Americans. His attempt to reunite her with her family by taking her on a lengthy journey to the town where her relatives live forms the narrative thrust of the movie.
Its plot is filled with incident, suspense, and action; above all, however, it references issues that confront us today. In this regard, it is clearly made for the 21st century: in an interesting and credible way, it touches on a range of current concerns, including corrupt government officials, racism, a widespread epidemic, and even child trafficking. It touches on the conflict with Native Americans in such a way as to show that they were victims of white aggression.
Most importantly, for all its thematic weightiness, it is truly entertaining. Beautifully filmed, superbly directed by Paul Greengrass, loaded with some spectacular scenery, and marked, as one expects, by a stellar performance by Tom Hanks, News of the World satisfactorily lives up to expectations and is well worth a viewing.
On the other hand, Falling, also available on Netflix, though it comes accompanied by the usual fanfare and stars the talented Viggo Mortensen, who makes his directorial debut as well as authoring the script, fails to deliver on its promises. Mainly concerned with a portrait of an old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, it does in fact do nothing else but this. The invalid, Willis, superbly played by Lance Henriksen, is shown as having been a nasty young man, an even nastier family man, and a yet nastier old man. A two-hour portrait of such unrelenting nastiness, especially when it is laced with objectionable language throughout, ultimately becomes tiresome.
Presumably, the message is that everyone – family and friends – should remain supportive and understanding of such a man, even if he does nothing to deserve this. As a lesson in true charity, Falling hits the mark; as film entertainment, it singularly fails despite the excellent direction and acting.
The lesson that is to be gained from all of this is “Buyer beware!” Even if a film is surrounded by widespread publicity and comes with great cast and crew credentials, it may not be worth viewing, even in times of isolation when so many are looking for diversion.
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