Legendary musician Nick Cave came to prominent attention last year with the release of his documentary 20,000 Days On Earth. This wasn't the first time Cave's influence made itself felt on the big screen - back in 2005 he wrote both the screenplay and soundtrack to the John Hillcoat-directed The Proposition. Starring Ray Winstone and Guy Pearce, The Proposition is a Western in all but setting. Taking place in the Australian outback it tells of a group of murderous outlaws the Burns brothers gang and their conflict with the authorities, headed by Captain Stanley (Winstone). Harsh, brutal and paradoxically often beautiful to look at, it's a real gem of a movie with some truly exceptional performances. Despite its positive reception from critics the best The Proposition could muster at the US box office listings was a ranking of 46 in the charts, and in the years since can barely be considered even a cult movie, a status it more than deserves.
