It is too easy to call The Proposition a “Western,” or even, more accurately, a “Period Piece,” the truth is this film should be in a genre called “Well-Crafted.” Sometimes a film comes along that obviously demonstrates that the right choices were made. The right cast, the right director, the right camera set ups, the right pacing, the right composition, etc. Does that make it a masterpiece? That word is thrown around so much it means nothing. It means that this film is well crafted, meaningful, consistent, entertaining and worthwhile. If you want to feel like you are in the hands of good storytellers who pay attention to detail then go see The Proposition.
Whether cinema can inspire people to change their lives rather then just saying they will for a couple of hours after a screening is debatable. Nevertheless, the hope of such seems to be driving the upcoming film Peaceful Warrior, an adaptation of Dan Millman’s ‘inspirational’ novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior.
The mix of archival footage with the narration and industrial/house music makes up for a very fascinating film to watch – and watch again. The theater was full (400 seats) on a Friday night for the fifth screening of the film, let alone the film is an experimental film(!)
Based in Northern Ontario, the film relates the unlikely relationship between an autistic mother whose daughter was recently killed in a car accident and the man - a complete stranger - who was driving her. For the first few minutes, the film starts off as a very conventional Canadian road movie until the narrative takes a turn for the dramatic straying away from the shaky camera aesthetics that characterized the first half.