10:56 AM
ArtsNFashion
Directed
by: Tommy Lee Jones
Cast: Tommy
Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, John Lithgow, James Spader, Hailee
Steinfeld, Tim Blake Nelson, Jesse Plemons, William Fichtner, Grace Gummer,
Miranda Otto, Sonja Richtner
Studio: Roadside
Attractions
Review by James Colt Harrison
Rough, gruff actor/director Tommy Lee Jones has
single-handedly brought back to the widescreen the American open plains in the
1850s midwest. Nothing is better suited to the grand wide screen than the old
America west of the Mississippi, as captured beautifully by Cinematographer
Rodrigo Prieto.
Novelist Glendon Swarthout wrote the book in
1988 and Jones turned it into a screenplay with buddies Kieran Fitzgerald and
Wesley Oliver. Swarthout intended the title to convey the meaning of when
immigrants were taken back home, typically by a man, or a “homesman.”
Oscar® winning actress Hilary Swank plays a
well-situated single woman named Mary Bee Cuddy who owns a large piece of land
which she farms. She was formerly a school teacher in the East but felt the western
territories would offer her more opportunities. She got settled in Nebraska,
but suffers from depression after having been alone for so long. She’s not
exactly an old hag, nor is she a raving beauty, but is simply referred to as
“plain.”
Swank plays Mary Bee as a frisky, no-nonsense
kind of a woman who goes after what she wants. And what she wants is a husband
to share her farm and life with and raise a family. Although she is only
30---an ancient age in those days--- she doesn’t give up in her quest to find
happiness. She pursues and proposes marriage to several young men who reject
her for being too unattractive or too old. This throws her into another blue
funk. She’s a desperate woman but, by golly, Swank plays her as an undefeated
woman with verve.
This prompts her to seek some adventure to
brighten her dreary life. When three pioneer women lose their sanity because of
varying degrees of tragedy, the local Reverend asks for a man to escort the
insane women to Iowa where they will be taken care of by a church that caters
to the mentally ill. No man volunteers, so Mary Bee gleefully takes it upon
herself to drive the women in a covered and locked coach to satisfy her need
for some excitement and a change of scenery.
As she makes her journey she runs into ruffian
George Briggs (Jones). He is a claim jumper and has been lynched, so he begs
Mary Bee to take him on and save his life. He’s an uncontrollable sort and just
the perfect type of character for Jones’ craggy face and uncivilized manner. Even
so, Mary Bee sees he is breathing and is a male, so she makes a desperate
attempt to have him agree to hook up with her. It doesn’t turn out as she
expected and there is a shocking twist.
Swank does a first-rate job of acting like a
desperate spinster, and Jones is usually a curmudgeon on screen, so he’s
perfect for Briggs. Meryl Streep comes in for a ten-minute cameo as a
preacher’s wife and commands the screen. She makes everything look as though we
could all act ourselves, but you know in your heart you cannot touch the hem of
her skirt. Viva Meryl!
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto was born in
Mexico City in November 1965. Although his grandfather had been Mayor of Mexico
City, the family soon had to flee to the United States when the ruler of the
country persecuted the Mayor for his political differences. They first landed
in close-by Texas, but later moved to Los Angeles. Prieto’s father grew up
mostly in LA, but he studied to be an aeronautical engineer at New York
University.
When Prieto, Jr. came along his interests
leaned toward the Arts. He attended a small film school. After graduation, he
was lucky to work with some established directors . He made his first film Oedipus Mayor in 1996 for director Jorge
Ali Triana. He made a few more Mexican films and finally hit paydirt in 2000
with the world-wide hit Amores Perros from director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Frida, in 2002 from director Julie
Taymor brought him a nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers
for his bold use of colors.
Director Oliver Stone hired him for the huge
spectacle Alexander in 2004. His next
three pictures brought him a shelf full of awards and nominations for Brokeback Mountain (2005), Babel, (2006), and Lust, Caution (2007) including BAFTA Award, Independent Spirit
Award, Online Critics Best Cinematography, and an Academy Award ® nomination.
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