Hostiles (2017) Reviews

• An all-around outstanding film with heart and substance

  TheTopDawgCritic2018-12-05

  I'm disappointed at the low score and wannabe critics tearing this film apart politically, morally and historically. This is not your typical Hollywood production, but instead, a very touching and beautiful film. This is Scott Cooper's 4th film he both directed and wrote, and he nailed it. I hope to see much more from him in this caliber, and he is the one to watch as his resume grows. This film was near perfect in every category. If the pace was a little faster and/or perhaps the 134 min length a little shorter, it would have been a perfect 10/10 from me. It's been a while since I've seen a film so perfectly cast - all cast, ever single one of them, and they all performed just as great, especially Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike, who both were exceptional in their roles. If you're expecting a wild west action Western, this isn't it. But if you want to see a near perfect film the way they used to be made, this is a gem. Ignore the negative reviews and just watch it. Would I see it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. A well deserved 9/10 from me and mad props to Scott Cooper for this beautiful gem of a film.

• A Poetic Film With A Knockout Christian Bale Performance!

  namashi_12018-07-15

  Scott Cooper's 'Hostiles' is a poetic film, that explores life & death with gut-wrenching violence & a hard-hitting narrative. This isn't an easy watch & nor does it want to be. Its a film about hate, divide & circumstances, & Cooper along-with leading-man Christian Bale, deliver a deeply affecting & meditative experience. 'Hostiles' follows a U.S. Cavalry officer (Bale) who must escort a Cheyenne war chief (A Fantastic Wes Studi) and his family back to their home in Montana in 1892. 'Hostiles' is about people haunted by their past & their actions towards one-another. Every character here, be it the protagonist, or the characters around him, are unsettled & victims of hate & hatred. This is a story about people who want to question their hate for one-another, but are unable to, due to their given circumstances. This is a human story & the sheer brutality here depicts a side of humanity we all are aware off. Its told with honesty, albeit, with gut-wrenching aggression. Scott Cooper is in top-form this time around. 'Hostiles' is a slow-moving, poetic piece, that sees the filmmaker in strong command. Cooper captures the bleakness & conflict, with remarkable understanding. Cooper's Vision is astonishingly captured by Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who paints 'Hostiles' into a visual marvel. Takayanagi's Camerawork is meditative & skillful to the point of perfection. Editing by Tom Cross adapts perfectly to the film's pace & offers sharpness overall. Art & Costume Design are pitch-perfect. Max Richter's Score is beautiful. Performance-Wise: Christian Bale delivers a knockout performance. As the conflicted & haunted Cavalry officer, Bale portrays the part with rare conviction. Its no new fact that Bale is among our greats, but 'Hostiles' shows us a side of his that may have just put him up there, right next to the all-time screen giants. What a wonderfully nuanced performance by Bale. Of the rest of the cast, Wes Studi portrays his complex part fantastically. Rosamund Pike is restrained. She's controlled & believable all through. Jesse Plemons is solid, as always. Ben Foster plays a yet another unlikable character, with the perfect blend of menace & insanity. Rory Cochrane is first-rate. Timothée Chalamet makes a very brief appearance, yet he does his bit nicely. Stephen Lang, again in a cameo, is outstanding! Others lend good support. On the whole, 'Hostiles' demands a viewing on the strength of its sheer merits. Don't Miss This One!

• Slow burn movie with great acting and good character arcs ...

  j_e_bryant2018-02-11

  This movie won't be for everyone. It's dark, fairly "slow" paced, and at times brutal. But at it's core, this movie is about forgiveness -- and for me, it rang true and was emotionally impactful. Christian Bale is in top form here, and his performance as well as the rest of the cast is great. It's beautifully shot and the score is haunting and harrowing. Well directed and worth watching -- just don't expect this to be a fast paced thrilling Western. It's not heavy on plot -- it's more thematic.

• The Effects of Death Exlpored

  KingKongKyle2018-02-08

  *Review: Hostiles* Opening your film with what will be the most intense or disturbing scene in the movie is risky. It can affect the intensity of your climax later and it puts the audience at unrest right from the get go. But that is exactly writer/director Scott Cooper's intention. Hostiles opens with one of the most violent scenes I can recall outside of the war and horror genres. It will make you uneasy and have you wondering, "what exactly have I signed up for?" This story takes place in a violent world; a world where even the best of men are dangerous men with blood on their hands. Cooper wants you to understand that, and to feel that from the start. And he accomplishes this with great precision. Hostiles follows renowned Army Captain Joseph Baker (Christian Bale) who is assigned the task of transporting a dying Native American Chief (Yellow Hawk played by Wes Studi) to his homeland in Montana where he can die in peace. This detail also includes transporting the Chief's family which includes his son (Adam Beach), daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson. Baker does not want this assignment. Yellow Hawk has been a war prisoner for some time, captured no doubt by Baker himself. The two men have seen each other commit violent acts against each other's soldiers and friends. There is understandable animosity between them and despite Baker's insistence that he does not want this mission, he has little choice in the matter if he wants to retire from the Army with his record unscathed and his pension intact. As his commanding officer, Colonel Briggs (Stephen Lang) tells him, "This will be done. And it will be done by you." Not long after the Captain, his small team of soldiers and Yellow Hawk's family start their journey, they find Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike), a woman in dire straits after just witnessing the murder of her entire family and the burning of her home at the hands of another Native American tribe. Baker and his men know they must take this woman with them, not just to protect her from further attack and the elements, but to protect her from herself. All of this takes place in the first fifteen minutes of the film. The rest I will leave you to discover on your own. For a movie that runs nearly a quarter past two hours, it is a wonder how it never drags. Had the film been released more in line with the awards season time frame, editor Tom Cross may well have seen his way to a few ceremonies. As would cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who has made a film so gorgeous that even the close-up shots look amazing. When it comes to the beautiful landscape, this is probably the best-looking Western since Open Range. The score by Max Richter is very subtle, it fits the tone of the film perfectly, never feeling intrusive, but not unnoticed. Every actor in this film is giving one of their finest performances. I'd go as far as to say this is Christian Bale's best performance since The Machinist, which is saying a lot since he's given so many great performances in between. Rosamund Pike's portrayal of a tortured soul feels authentic and heartbreaking. Wes Studi, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Jonathan Majors, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemons and Ben Foster all have opportunities to shine in smaller roles. Cochrane in particular shines as a soldier whose life of killing has finally taken its toll mentally and physically. Hostiles may just come across as depressing to some viewers. It is dark and violent and there is little levity to speak of. There is so much death on screen that at times the movie seems like it is a story about death. And in a way it is. The acts of violence in the film happen quickly, but the repercussions of those acts are dwelt upon. We bear witness to the effects of death in its various forms. As such the film becomes more than just a story about death, but one about our reconciliation with mortality; our understanding of an outcome that is inevitable for us all one way or another. Scott Cooper has created one of the best films of 2017. A haunting, emotional Western that you will not soon forget. A film that looks this good and that is this emotionally engrossing deserves to be seen on the big screen. And a film this well-made deserves an audience. So get to it. 9/10

• Harrowing

  bencaandrew2018-01-09

  Forget the talk of the film being slow, this isn't an action film or an old school shoot 'em up western, anyone looking for that should search elsewhere. Whilst there some great action scenes, where hostiles excels is in setting the tone for an early American world where law and order rest of gun power. The cinematography is exceptional, meanwhile Christian Bale is superb playing a army captain who is seemingly tough and unflinching but shows an undertone of melancholy, Rosamunde Pike pulls of a great performance as a woman thrust into the ugly world of war and anarchy by a brutal attack on her family home, a scene is exceptional and unapologetically shocking. Overall the film is about the futility of trying to civilise a wild land built on violence, and about the tragedy and the sheer pointlessness of conflict against fellow man.