"THE WEIGHT" - MINI-REVIEW

In his first film since his Oscar-nominated turn in last year’s Richard Linklater film BLUE MOON, “THE WEIGHT” is Ethan Hawke’s movie, through and through. He delivers a steely, refreshingly muscular, but no less thoughtful performance as Murphy, an unjustly imprisoned Depression-era single father on a mission from a shifty warden (Russell Crowe in charming bastard mode): move sacks of buillion from a gold mine across treacherous wilderness in five days and he will earn his freedom and be reunited with his only daughter before she becomes a ward of the state.

Veteran TV editor Padraic McKinley makes his feature directing debut with the type of movie they don’t much make anymore, and while budget constraints and TV shaky-cam techniques keep it from being as grand and as cinematic as it deserves, there is grit and texture and immediacy. While the film’s tone wavers here and there (sometimes it has the brutality of a John Hillcoat film, sometimes it deals in devil-may-care heist movie cliches), Hawke never wavers, carrying the film ably. It is also such a great pleasure to see Hawke and Crowe share scenes together that you’ll wish there were more of them. Rounding out the cast is Linklater alum and lovable dirtbag Austin Amelio (EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, HIT MAN) and Julia Jones (WIND RIVER).

Rugged, tough and ultimately tender, THE WEIGHT is a solid-enough entry that, with this type of entertainment in short supply, may be worth your time.

THE WEIGHT is now in theaters.

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Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com