Slow West starring Irish actor Michael Fassbender and impressive Australian youngster Kodi Smit-McPhee is the proof that the Western genre isnt as dead as you might have thought. If you're unfamiliar, the film follows Jay (Smit-McPhee) as he travels the Old West in search of his lost love, Rose. He ends up paying a bounty hunter called Silas (Fassbender) for protection, which goes awry when Silas hears of a bounty on Roses head. Thanks to writer-director John Maclean's stellar script and its intriguingly ambiguous tone, the question of whos using who in this scenario is never really all that clear. A great script and two top performances help convert this uncertainty into a remarkably fun end product. As the pair's journey continues, it becomes a particularly brutal affair. There is robbery, death and distrust at every corner. And although there is a shoot out or two to be found, its the characters that will stick in your head once the credits have rolled. This is further evidence of the script and the actors working in perfect unison. Maclean directs the film with a uniquely jaunty style, resulting in a Western that's unlike any other. A UK/New Zealand co-production, Slow West goes to show what can be achieved with a familiar genre but without the support of Hollywood. Its very much worth seeking this one out, if you havent already seen it.
