Red Hill (2010)

Best movie of this year hands down!

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

A good film. for cinematography, story and performances. for preserve the rules and atmosphere of old fashion western. proposing a not new but well made story about past traces, revenge and a young officer in a small town front to its crime. one of good motifs for see "Red Hill" is the admirable job of Ryan Kwanten who gives a vulnerable, honest and brave character in precise details of each virtue. and that is the start point for enjoy a film proposing more than a story but being a pledge for small fundamental virtues defining us.

***This Review Contains Spoilers***A lot of reviewers have given this film low marks because they say it doesn't compare to a US Western or that the plot has been done before.My advice? Watch it purely on its own merit and forget the comparisons. I would have given the film a 10 out 10, but for a few minor issues that I had with it such as a few noticeable goofs including poor digital with the CGI panther and the cut when Shane enters the town hall that shows him already seated in the chair at the back BEFORE he sits down in it. I also felt there could have been a bit more scenes with Shane getting to know and liking the townspeople so that learning what happened long ago would be more horrifying to him and the audience as well.Otherwise, I like that the plot doesn't throw you all the answers in the first five minutes. You're also given just enough information about the characters to make them three dimensional. In addition, you're forced to face horror without reason for much of the first part of the film. The truth is unveiled slowly and meticulously with enough clues to help the audience along without giving away too much.As for the backdrop of the movie and the music: absolutely beautiful. Progression from bright morning slowly to gray overcast skies before the storm and then to night was a perfect plot transition element. The music kept pace with the changes and the guitar, horn, drums and violin (?) selections were perfect counterpoints to the action. The movie definitely had "grit" and a Western feel to it. If you like Westerns, or even cop dramas/crime stories, Red Hill is well worth your time.

The only western I've watched this year being the Coen's version of True Grit, Red Hill has a lot to live up to. Ryan Kwanten plays Shane Cooper, a young police officer who has just moved to the isolated town of Red Hill. His first day goes off course though as a local prison has a breakout and convicted criminal, Jimmy Conway (Played by Tommy Lewis) is on the loose and heading for Red Hill. This simple story has a lot going for it accompanied with an excellent shot choice, reminiscent of the Coen's 'No Country For Old Men', in fact, the whole film felt like a homage to western's in general and that's the main flaw of the film. It never has it's own voice; it feels like bits picked from various other and more rounded films so doesn't give it's own flavor.It can be commended however on it's playful way of mixing horror into the mix. There were countless scenes where the tension was dialed up to 11 making it an edge of the seat experience, not relying on quiet environments followed by loud bangs to get inside the audience's head. It was a very atmospheric piece and Tommy Lewis's representation of Jimmy Conway added to that having a terrifying yet, electrifying screen presence truly invoking a sense of dread into you whenever he was on screen.While far from being perfect Red Hill is a perfectly fine nuts and bolts westerns with enough plot twists and turns to keep you interested. You just can't help but get a strong sense of déjà vu within the viewing and reminds you of other and far better westerns which have truly earned their rights of classics. Red Hill isn't a classic, but it's a damn good time.

I tried to like this film but it requires too much suspension of disbelief. First and foremost the lead character "Shayne" survives falling off a cliff and ends up with innumerable injuries. We see him profusely bleeding along the waistline. He ends up walking long distances while injured yet still has the ability to run like a rabbit when gunfire erupts. There also seems to be a problem with most of the armed men in this movie as they never take a shot at the heavy even when they have the element of surprise with them. One poor bastard even squeezes off 6 shots at a distance of 15 feet and never hits the heavy. Add to the mix that although this film happens in a small rural Aussie town, aside from the few principals, nobody else is ever seen. Keep in mind that automatic gun fire, car wrecks and explosions are occurring right in the middle of Main Street but nobody even goes to a window to see that is happening. There is talk of "a big storm brewing" but aside from the allegory to the story it fails to materialize. I guess all the town folk are hold up waiting for the big storm to blow over. Cliché after cliché leads to an ending you can see coming from the beginning of the film. A real letdown.