Sometimes the film going experience is greatly enhanced when you have little knowledge of the movie upon entering the theatre. Such was the case for the new film THE HUNTER. All I had seen was the poster which showed a grim, determined Willem Dafoe toting a high-powered rifle. Since he’s frequently been cast in villain roles ( he’s the Green Goblin for gosh sakes! ), I thought that perhaps he’s playing an assassin or hitman tracking his victim through the countryside. On the flip side, he may be a bounty hunter or lawman trying to bring in a fugitive from justice. Whichever it was, I was all set for a cat-and-mouse action thriller.
For the first few minutes it looks like we’re in for a classy hitman actioner ( like THE MECHANIC ). After we’re introduced to Martin David ( Dafoe ) soaking in the tub, listening to classical music in a swanky Paris hotel, the film cuts to the airport where he meets with a couple of well-dressed gentlemen. They discuss the transfer of currency to foreign bank accounts. Hmmmm, who’s the target? Martin is given a briefcase with small test tubes and lab sample plates. Uh? The wealthy employer has hired him, not to track down an enemy, but to find an animal thought to be extinct : the Tasmanian tiger. The tiger doesn’t need to be captured alive, the employer only wants blood, skin, and fur samples ( perhaps for cloning purposes? ). So Martin is literally a professional hunter. Arriving in Tasmania, he is greeted by another agent of his employer, Jack ( Sam Neill ), who helps guide Martin to the forested spot were the tiger was supposedly last sighted. Jack also has arranged a place for Martin to stay : the home of Lucy Armstrong ( Frances O’Connor ) and her two precocious, foul-mouthed, grade-school aged kids. Seems Mr. Armstrong disappeared in the forest while searching for the tiger. She’s literally checked out, spending her days heavily medicated drifting in and out of slumber and letting her kids fend for themselves. After tidying up his living quarters, Martin begins his task. The people of the town are leery of him. The loggers, who’ve been prevented from working, believe that he’s an undercover Greenpeace-type agent. But the other side distrusts him too. The local tree-hugging eco-warriors believe that he’s using traps to capture the tiger. No one seems to believe his cover story of being a research scientist collecting data for a new book. Can he stay several steps ahead of these warring factions and locate his elusive prey?
THE HUNTER is a great showcase for the talents of one of our most interesting actors. Here Dafoe gets to go beyond the sometimes one-note baddies in Hollywood blockbusters He begins the film as a cool professional who’s only looking to complete his job and collect his fee. But things change once he arrives in that wild land and meets this broken family. Martin starts to care about something beyond his mission, although Dafoe is terrific in the scenes showcasing his tracking and trapping skills. O’Connor is touching as the absentee single mother who finally wakes up and responds to the unusual foreign man in her life. O’Neill offers great support as her family friend who may have other motives. The search for a rare animal is a unique motive for all the principals ( it’s interesting that this weekend’s big family film THE PIRATES : BAND OF MISFITS also tackles the subject of beasties thought to be extinct ). The suspense builds slowly while not taking away from the unfolding relationship story. The cinematography of this still untamed country is breathtaking at times. Some of the accents are often too thick to decipher, but your ears should become accustomed quickly. Because of the gorgeous unexplored countryside, and the very talented cast, THE HUNTER is a film worth tracking down.
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars Out of 5
