FOKER MOVIE REVIEW THE HORSEMAN (From Surrey Comet)

FOKER MOVIE REVIEW THE HORSEMAN

3:27pm Monday 2nd November 2009

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When I was invited to review The Horseman, all I knew about it was that it was a ‘revenge movie’ and my immediate reaction was that I’ve probably seen it all before. How wrong was I?

The theme of this Independent Australian production isn’t a million miles away from the recent Liam Neeson film Taken or Denzel Washington’s Man on Fire or even the Death Wish franchise but what puts it leagues apart is the gritty realism. The only other film that comes close is Get Carter (the original 70’s version with Michael Caine not the ‘what were you thinking?’ Sly Stallone re-make) The film centres around a middle aged man called Christian (Peter Marshall), a blue collar worker who has to identify the body of his teenage daughter following a heroine overdose. He is further tormented when he anonymously receives a video through his door showing his daughter taking part in a sleazy pornographic movie. It’s apparent that in the film his daughter is high on drugs and she has clearly been taken advantage of. Christian sets out to find answers and administers retribution to everyone involved from the films director and actors, all the way down to the distributor.

What follows is probably some of the most shocking scenes of violence ever witnessed in a movie but in a perverse sort of way the audience is still full of sympathy for this father and his loss. Peter Marshall is excellent as Christian an ordinary man who exudes some very powerful emotions, grief, despair, guilt and of course revenge. The film is shot in a desaturated look which provides a bleak coldness to the overall feel. There is also a benefit from not having a big star name in the lead. This character is no martial arts expert or an ex-Navy Seal which could have easily watered down the realism of the action scenes turning them into cartoon violence.

On his travels Christian picks up a young teenage hitchhiker Alice played by Caroline Marohasy and their scenes together are quite touching. We see a very caring and protective side to this broken man. However, still be prepared to watch some scenes through your fingers and certainly don’t watch it with your Gran! Not sure that enjoyable experience is the right word to use for this movie but it is most certainly compelling.

Five stars *****