The Hunter Review

                      The Hunter is well acted, nicely directed, and edited perfectly. The Hunter is also pretty boring. This was the same complaint I had with this year's film, Coriolanus. While being two completely different films, The Hunter and Coriolanus seem to have everything down, but are both dull. The Hunter is an eco-thriller about Martin (Willem Dafoe), a woodsman who goes back for one last mission after retirement. Didn't see me mention the script as being good? Well...I didn't because it's an overly used script. I can name five films off the top of my head that feature the plot of one last assignment before being retired..hell, Contraband came out this year with the same type of plot. The film is a bit better than it should be, however. While the script is cliche, it does add in a romance with Lucy (Frances O'Connor), the woman Martin is staying with whose husband she never sees.

                The film is a bit better due to the fact that the romance is realistic and brings up good points about relationships. The film gets bogged down when it gets to the hunting aspect. There are several scenes in the film that involve Martin just walking around, occasionally killing something. It's just boring to watch one guy hunt. Dafoe is excellent here, making us feel for Martin even if we are bored by his character. Also, O'Connor is pretty good here. Her acting is all through emotion. There's no fake acting in here..she shows raw emotion, almost making us feel as if she is actually feeling these feelings in real life. Sam Neill shows up as Jack, a man who is suspicious of Martin's intentions. Jack is a somewhat reprehensible character, but Neill is so good that he makes Jack justified. Martin is a nice guy, but we get to feeling that he's up to no good, as Jack thinks.

             There is also a nice use of Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire. In fact, it is one of the best uses of song in film. The Hunter, as I am thinking about it, is actually pretty good. I just wish that I wasn't as bored as I was. I'm going to recommend The Hunter, but with high reservations.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and brief violence)