philosoraptor42

The Hunter (2011)

Willem Dafoe is a great actor. However, I rarely see him in a leading role.

There is no doubt that Dafoe carries this leisurely-paced indie drama. Even playing such a reclusive character his performance is crammed full of emotion.

Right from the start we discover that he is being employed to find and kill the last remaining tazmanian tiger, yet Dafoe is always wholly relateable. We always sympathise with his character in spite of his questionable motives.

Various elements are quickly set up. Dafoe is lying about his background and which animal he is pursuing. He also becomes quite attached to the family at the house where he is staying. But by the end I found myself left confused by the film's message. It also didn't help that a climactic moment in the final act involved some rather unconvincing CG effects.

"The Hunter" has great performances and some really good characters. But the plot seems rather unsure what to do with them. It's a perfectly adequate film, but I found the ending rather flat.

C-