The Weight - Movie Review

The Movie: The Weight

The Director: Padraic McKinley

The Cast: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine

The Story: Desperate to save what is left of his family, during the height of the Great Depression a battle-scarred veteran is hired to help smuggle a fortune in gold across 100 miles of impenetrable wilderness.

The Rating: 8 / 10

The Review:

I hate to say that this is a throwback type of movie because really, it's just good, quality filmmaking from start to finish and I honestly hope that isn't something we would normally only find deep down in our film libraries. Sure, there's still a lot of great movies being made and there are constant advances and changes to how films are created, for better or worse, this one just feels like it could have just as easily been made in the 1970's or 80's versus something you might see in the theater now.

For director Padraic McKinley, this is a feature film debut after directing and producing several television projects. I'm not familiar enough with the processes to know how much of a difference there is between the two mediums from a creator standpoint, but it always seems like theatrical releases are a step up from television and, if that is the case, then I feel like McKinley did a very good job of making that leap into large format cinema. It just looks cinematic in every way and all of the performances come off as being very authentic and engaging so big props to McKinley for putting all of it together.

The story, filmed in Germany and set in 1930's Oregon, is just beautiful to look at and I highly recommend that you see it in a theater to get the full experience. Everything feels real, the spaces feel lived in, and the forests look so lush and feel so alive, they almost become a secondary character alongside the cast. There's a real sense of danger and urgency which really helped to keep me engaged from beginning to end and the action feels just right for the movie, nothing overblown or out of place.

This is some of the best work I've seen from Ethan Hawke, as the lead character Samuel Murphy, in quite some time and that's saying a lot since he's always so good in everything he does. I'm not sure if it's the story, the level of preparation, some other factor, or all of the above, but each person in the movie feels very authentic and real which is sort of a theme for everything about this movie. I guess that's the main difference that I was referring to as a throwback versus modern cinema where everyone seems to have super powers whether they're in a comic book movie or not.

Sure, there's a place for John Wick, I love those movies, and there's also a place for someone like Murphy to get by on a slightly above average skill set. I suppose there's a comparison there also in how Wick was doing everything in his power to avenge his wife and dog while Murphy is doing everything he can to get his daughter back and that singular sense of purpose is what drives each of them to keep pushing through seemingly impossible odds.

That's really what this movie is about. Survival and doing whatever it takes to be with the person or people you love. Along the way, unlikely alliances are made as characters begin to realize that the only way they might succeed is by working together against a growing list of obstacles and enemies. I'm thankful that this type of movie can still exist and I'm also thankful that you've taken the time to read this review. See you next time!