Connect with us

Film

Comedy Western ‘Damsel’ is an Epic Misfire

Damsel starts with two men at a crossroads in the desert: one waiting for a stagecoach going west, one waiting for a stagecoach going east. This situates the movie, right from the beginning, in mythic territory. The preacher going west explains he wants to start a new life, while the man going east tells him that there’s no such thing as a fresh start. This prologue frames the themes of the movie as a whole — that no matter where you go, things will probably end up exactly the same. The same ethos extends to the wider movie; no matter where it goes, things remain at the same boring, painfully unfunny pace. The Zellner Brother’s latest film is an epic misfire.

Cut forward to the hopeless Samuel (Robert Pattinson), who has enlisted the man from the prologue (David Zellner) — now an alcoholic preacher — to be the sidekick for his quest. The mission: to find his kidnapped fiancé and marry her on the spot. So far so normal, even if Samuel himself admits that he isn’t your traditional gunslinger. For one thing, he doesn’t even like drinking whisky. The fallen preacher is a more traditional Western character, grappling with his own failed outlook on life, and going along for the ride because he has nothing else to lose. Halfway through the film cleaves neatly in two, questioning everything that has come before. Its a clever trick, as it is innately linked to the theme of the movie, which is the way certain men are prone to thinking that they are always the heroes of their own stories. This is made even more interesting considering that it’s Robert Pattinson himself playing the role, considering his fame for playing vampire sweetheart Edward Cullen. Sadly for Damsel, these ideas aren’t executed with any finesse or talent at all.

Like Ridiculous Six (but even less funny), Damsel tries to revise the Western through a comic lens, in the process make the viewer question commonly held beliefs. This is hardly new — as long as the genre has been around people have been questioning it and adapting it to their own ends. Better examples include Back To The Future III and Blazing Saddles, films that didn’t try so hard to land every single joke. When Damsel isn’t aiming for comedy, its more serious scenes reflect an unearned laziness on behalf of the filmmakers.

That’s a shame, because the film does have some interesting ideas, mainly about the nature of masculinity, and how it can be based in fantasy. In addition, the idea of switching up the narrative halfway through fits in neatly with this subversion. Its heart is in the right place, and its strong feminist credentials remain intact. Nevertheless, this isn’t explored in any meaningful way. For one thing, the big twist that occurs halfway through can be seen from a mile away, somewhat negating its impact. In addition, further switch-ups in the narrative are merely repetitions of the same theme. In the right hands, it could’ve been hilarious; here it is exasperating.

Robert Pattinson is one of the most interesting actors working right now. The former Twilight star had his best ever role last year with the mesmerising Good Time. He’s currently jumping into diverse parts with glee, and its refreshing to see him attempt a comedy. However, this type of humour, aiming for the lowest denominator possible, does him no favours. Likewise, Mia Wasikowska is also wasted here, mostly reacting to men’s stupidity instead of honing her own comic chops. With the exception of the legendary Robert Forster, who starts the film as the man going east, the supporting cast is your usual generic team of Western clichés.

If Damsel was just shy of 80 minutes, it could’ve been a semi-enjoyable preamble through the old territory of the west. Coming in under just two hours, however, the result is an undeniable slog. It’s remarkable that it ended up in the Competition slate at Berlinale and wasn’t bought up by Netflix in seeking to capitalise on Robert Pattinson’s fame. By the end, the real damsels in distress are the audience.

The 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from 15 to 25 February 2018.

Written By

As far back as he can remember, Redmond Bacon always wanted to be a film critic. To him, being a film critic was better than being President of the United States

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

2001: A Space Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: Clarke and Kubrick’s Odyssey of Discovery

Culture

Deep Impact was a serious look at the end of the world Deep Impact was a serious look at the end of the world

25 Years Later: Deep Impact was a Serious Look at the End of the World 

Film

The Best Movies of 1973 The Best Movies of 1973

The Golden Year of Movies: 1973

Culture

The Zone of Interest The Zone of Interest

Cannes 2023: Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is a Manicured Vision of Hell

Culture

Jeanne Du Barry review Jeanne Du Barry review

Cannes 2023: Maïwenn’s Great Hair Goes to Great Lengths in Jeanne Du Barry

Culture

Black Flies Gripping Black Flies Gripping

Cannes 2023: Black Flies— Gripping Descent into the Underbelly of New York’s Urban Misery 

Culture

Asteroid City: A Gimmicky Vanity Project Asteroid City: A Gimmicky Vanity Project

Cannes 2023: Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City is a Gimmicky Vanity Project

Culture

La Passion de Dodin Bouffant: La Passion de Dodin Bouffant:

La Passion de Dodin Bouffant: Surfeit Cooking Drama Most Inane Film at Cannes

Culture

BlackBerry movie review BlackBerry movie review

BlackBerry Is a Wonderfully Canadian Account of a Dying Tech Dream

Film

Four Daughters Four Daughters

Cannes 2023: Four Daughters: A Family’s Journey From Goth to Niqab

Culture

The Mother Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Paez The Mother Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Paez

Jennifer Lopez’s The Mother is Eerily Similar to Enough, But That’s Not a Bad Thing

Film

Godzilla 1998 Godzilla 1998

Godzilla at 25: When Hollywood Made a Manhattan Monster Movie, with Disastrous Results

Film

10 Best SummerSlam Matches 10 Best SummerSlam Matches

10 Best SummerSlam Matches

Culture

The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Reloaded

20 Years Later: The Matrix Reloaded was Underwhelming, but Still Underrated

Film

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE review SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE review

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Is a Dazzling Web of Unbridled Creativity

Film

Discovery channel Discovery channel

The Head-Scratching Moves Discovery Has Been Making

Culture

Connect