I don't appreciate Quentin Tarantino enough. As much as I dislike "The Hateful Eight" and was frustrated with "Django Unchained," those were well-made films with some great style and artistry to them. "The Harder They Fall" is an exploitation-style western in a similar vein that doesn't quite meet the mark, and it's largely because the director is trying a little too hard to be Tarantino. It's a very enjoyable and watchable film, but it's flaws are pretty glaring.
To start, the cast is absolutely spectacular. Lead by Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Lakeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, and Zazie Beetz, the nearly all-black ensemble really gets the chance to shine. I've been watching these talented actors in so many prestige films over the last few years, and it is such a joy to see them tackle a really pulpy, really over the top piece of genre filmmaking, and clearly have a blast while doing it. We have our heroes, a gang lead by Nat Love (Majors), who stick to robbing other robbers, while Love hunts down the killers of his parents one by one. Then there are the villains, lead by the evil Rufus Black (Elba), Trudy Smith (King), and unscrupulous Cherokee Bill (Stanfield). In the mix are also Love's ex, Stagecoach Mary (Beetz), and lawman Bass Reeves (Lindo).
First time feature director Jeymes Samuel has a background in music, and the soundtrack is easily the best thing about the film, mixing new songs written by Samuel with older classics. Several members of the cast can be heard contributing vocals. The film exists in a heightened, comic-book version of the Old West, where all the characters are based on real historical figures, but reimagined to be this outlandish collection of heroes and villains. They pull off daring heists and robberies and rescues. They're dressed to perfection in colorful clothes that match their equally stylized surroundings - a white town they visit is literally painted white. The action scenes are dynamic and exciting to watch, though more brutal than the comic-book trappings would suggest.
The biggest trouble, unfortunately, is the pacing. "The Harder They Fall" runs an unwieldy, unnecessary 139 minutes. While the film moves at a brisk clip whenever there's action or suspense sequences, it often comes to a dead halt without them, and drags interminably. And while most of the stylistic conceits work, some don't. The anachronistic dialogue is fine for posturing and one-liners, but becomes awkward for everything else. The love scenes between Majors and Beetz are especially dire, as there's little chemistry between these two. They both look great holding firearms or getting into brawls, but I don't think either of them manage to deliver a memorable line. On the other hand, they both really had to fight to keep my attention in the company of scene-stealers like Lakeith Stanfield, and energetic up-and-comers like RJ Cyler and Daneille Deadwyler, who play the other members of Nate Love's gang.
When it comes down to it, the star of the show is Idris Elba as Rufus Black. He gets the best entrance, the best backstory, and the best badass moments. He dominates every scene he's in without breaking a sweat. Regina King runs a close second, sporting a Creole accent and a lot of attitude. These two play the truly larger-than-life characters of the bunch, and the performances are so charismatic that it makes me sad I didn't get to see this film on a much bigger screen. Unfortunately, they also have far less screen time than I found acceptable, and I felt every moment that they weren't there.
"The Harder They Fall" is certainly worth a watch. Jeymes Samuel is talented and not afraid of making bold choices. I love that the title sequence is actually at the beginning of the film, where it gets to serve as an introduction to all the different characters. I love that there's a trans hero character, that Beetz and King get the best fight sequence, and that there's reggae on the soundtrack. The execution is messy and uneven and this is clearly not the film that it could have been with some tighter editing and smarter writing. But it's a promising film, one I sincerely hope will be a stepping stone to better things.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment