Events
The Ultimate Event Guide for the FrankfurtRhineMain Metropolitan Region
March 2024
  • Mo
  • Tu
  • We
  • Th
  • Fr
  • Sa
  • Su
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
The Homesman

The Homesman

USA 2014 - with Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Hailee Steinfeld, Meryl Streep, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto ...

The Frankfurt-Tipp rating:

Movie info

Original title:The Homesman
Genre:Drama, Adventure
Direction:Tommy Lee Jones
Cinema release:18.12.2014
Production country:USA 2014
Running time:Approx. 123 min.
Rated:Age 16+
Web page:www.Homesman-derfilm.de

In the barren expanses of the Wild West of Nebraska, Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) tries to hold her own as a single woman in the mid-19th century. Her small plot of land throws off enough for a decent living, though no man wants to share it with her. Still, Mary doesn't let herself lose hope for a happy future. Until then, she stands her own ground. And so it is that she agrees to escort three farmer's wives (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, and Sonja Richter) who have lost their minds to a Methodist church back east where the women can get the care they need. Along the difficult journey, outlaw Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), whom Mary saved from the gallows, is to accompany them and guarantee their safety. This is necessary, because on the journey all kinds of dangers such as storms, hunger, other settlers and Indians await the women. Although Mary and Briggs clash repeatedly, she soon realizes that beneath his uncouth exterior, he is a genuinely good man - a realization that leads her to make a grave decision.

With The Homesman, Tommy Lee Jones delivers his second directorial effort after Three Burials - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. His very unusual western fascinates with great pictures by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Brokeback Mountain) and a strong ensemble of actors, where even small supporting roles are cast with stars like Meryl Streep, James Spader or John Lithgow first class. But the film belongs to four strong women, led by a magnificent Hilary Swank. The two-time Oscar winner carries the often very quiet action all by herself for long stretches with her rather understated performance as a pioneer woman scarred by the harshness of life. Tommy Lee Jones provides the perfect counterbalance to the God-fearing, somewhat haggard Mary as a rough-and-tumble swashbuckler with a loose mouth. This is important in that the stark contrast between the two characters makes for some very amusing, light-hearted moments, through which the rest of the film, dominated by an enormous heaviness, is made bearable.

Because the story told in The Homesman is pretty damn tough stuff. The fate of the three women Mary is sent to bring east really gets to you. The acting of Meryl Streep's daughter Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings) and Dane Sonja Richter is often hard to bear in its intensity. So it's extremely good to be allowed to take a breath or even laugh a little in between. This is how the really surprising twist in the last act can be endured, which once again pulls the emotions of the audience down quite strongly.

The Homesman is not light cinema entertainment. But Tommy Lee Jones shows that even heavy, unwieldy material can be presented in an entertaining way that doesn't lose any of its intrinsic power and meaning, while still being accessible to a slightly wider audience. That doesn't make this western a mainstream product by any means. But at least it makes sure that it doesn't only appeal to the arthouse cinema audience. If you appreciate powerful films about human frontier experiences, like great filmed acting and are not deterred by difficult material, you should not miss this story about broken pioneer spirit and the dark side of the American dream. Worth Seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp

Media:

  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
  • The Homesman
Cinema trailer for the movie "The Homesman (USA 2014)"
Loading the player ...