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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Willem Dafoe brings a bedraggled nobility to this intriguing cross between character piece and men's adventure story. Based on a novel by Julia Leigh (Sleeping Beauty), the film follows a lone wolf mercenary named Martin (Dafoe) hired by a sketchy biotech company to track down what may be the last remaining Tasmanian tiger (an ungainly critter that resembles a stretched-out jackal). As hunter and prey engage in an uneasy series of near misses, Martin's single-minded resolve to his mission is tested by a growing attraction to a widow (Frances O'Connor) and her two children. What's more, he discovers that the local townspeople (led by the always welcome Sam Neill) may not take too kindly to having their wilderness defiled by an outsider. Taking full advantage of the gorgeous landscapes of Southern Australia, director Daniel Nettheim adopts a pleasingly old-fashioned approach to his action scenes, where the tension is drawn out over extended takes, rather than dispensed with via a blizzard of quick cuts. (That said, a brief, brutal skirmish between Dafoe and a two-legged assailant would do the Bourne movies proud.) The film proves almost as sure-footed when it ventures away from the great outdoors, courtesy of some sterling backup from Neill and O'Connor, the latter being particularly affecting as a woman unwilling to let the past fade out of view. Ultimately, though, what drives The Hunter is Dafoe, who delivers a beauty of a laconic performance, hinting at a lifetime of regrets and missteps with the smallest of gestures. For a Man of Few Words, he sure manages to say an awful lot. --Andrew Wright
Product Description
Martin David, a skilled and focused mercenary, is sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family. However, as his attachment to the family grows, he is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 90 people found the following review helpful
By Publius
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Hunter piqued my interest when perusing upcoming films on my smart phone's Flixster app. What little bit of story revealed in the trailer provided just enough motivation for me to make a point of seeing this film, but unfortunately its limited theatrical release on 6 April 2012 did not include Chicago.
Nevertheless, I was happy to see this film listed on Amazon's Instant Video, and the $7 rental was well worth it.
Willem Dafoe provides an excellent performance as Martin David, an introverted loner whose cultured tastes in music and finer accommodations seem to contrast with his ability to survive in the violent Tasmanian wilderness. But his technical proficiency and skill as a hunter made him a prime candidate for a dubious and impossible job - hunting down and killing an extinct species of tiger in the mountains of Tasmania.
As he sets out on this futile and illegal task he ends up in the middle of two feuding parties - a sadistic clan of testosterone-laden lumberjacks and the pot-smoking "Greens" trying to shut them down. When David is not hiking the mountains hunting for his prey, he holds up at the home of Lucy Armstrong and her two children. Lucy's husband - a Green himself - went missing several months earlier, and during his stay with the Armstrong family, Martin inadvertently takes on a subtle role as husband and father. As his interest in Lucy and the children grow, his faraway employer becomes concerned with Martin's loyalty.
This moving film dealt with several large themes ranging from people's impact on the environment to the environment's impact on people, but its most powerful and important aspect was its presentation of a standoffish and isolated man grizzled by time, work, and isolation, who is slowly transformed into a self-reflective and affectionate figure for a widowed wife and her two children. When tragedy strikes, the film fleshes out ever more complexity and humanity from David, as demonstrated by his ecologically profound decisions and his tenderness toward those in need.
This was a film - unlike so many others - worthy of the silver screen and I wish its theatrical distribution would have been far wider. Nonetheless, it is available through Amazon, and what better medium to proliferate great stories than the internet?
A powerful and emotional film I recommend highly.
Nevertheless, I was happy to see this film listed on Amazon's Instant Video, and the $7 rental was well worth it.
Willem Dafoe provides an excellent performance as Martin David, an introverted loner whose cultured tastes in music and finer accommodations seem to contrast with his ability to survive in the violent Tasmanian wilderness. But his technical proficiency and skill as a hunter made him a prime candidate for a dubious and impossible job - hunting down and killing an extinct species of tiger in the mountains of Tasmania.
As he sets out on this futile and illegal task he ends up in the middle of two feuding parties - a sadistic clan of testosterone-laden lumberjacks and the pot-smoking "Greens" trying to shut them down. When David is not hiking the mountains hunting for his prey, he holds up at the home of Lucy Armstrong and her two children. Lucy's husband - a Green himself - went missing several months earlier, and during his stay with the Armstrong family, Martin inadvertently takes on a subtle role as husband and father. As his interest in Lucy and the children grow, his faraway employer becomes concerned with Martin's loyalty.
This moving film dealt with several large themes ranging from people's impact on the environment to the environment's impact on people, but its most powerful and important aspect was its presentation of a standoffish and isolated man grizzled by time, work, and isolation, who is slowly transformed into a self-reflective and affectionate figure for a widowed wife and her two children. When tragedy strikes, the film fleshes out ever more complexity and humanity from David, as demonstrated by his ecologically profound decisions and his tenderness toward those in need.
This was a film - unlike so many others - worthy of the silver screen and I wish its theatrical distribution would have been far wider. Nonetheless, it is available through Amazon, and what better medium to proliferate great stories than the internet?
A powerful and emotional film I recommend highly.
59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
By Gary Brooks
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
A highly-realistic, slow-paced but solid thriller with remarkable scenery, it's somewhat reminiscent of "Winter's Bone" in tone and pacing, and "Drive" in regards to the main character. All three leads are fantastic, there's a mild feeling of adventure, the story has no flaws and the drama is natural and never melodramatic. Warning for animal lovers though, animals are trapped and skinned in the film as necessary for the plot. If you liked "Winter's Bone" you will definitely appreciate this fine film.
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video
Love this movie! Cinematography is breathtaking and lends to the poignancy of the story. I truly enjoyed Willem Dafoe's performance as well as seeing some of Tasmania's beautiful landscapes and wildlife.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I was really expecting but very good
Dafoe is a great actor and this movie is no exception. When you read "mercenary sent by a shadowy corporation" you think this is going to be more of an action movie. Read more
Published 2 days ago by K. Manning
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy of a watch
A good film with solid cast. Kept my interest throughout and was moving at times. The story was solid, diving into the struggle between "gun for hire" and the gaining of... Read more
Published 4 days ago by C. Horton
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't like it all that well
I am a movie buff. I watched this movie expecting a lot more. It was dry in a lot of areas. The plot was weak, but read well. I only got into it for the main character.... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Jeffrey Joyner
5.0 out of 5 stars
this IS the happy ending
I read the book after watching the film and couldn't avoid comparing it to McCarthy's novel, The Road. Read more
Published 11 days ago by a movie fan
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK but a bit slow
Good acting, especially of the main character. The plot is a bit slow. The ending could have been developed more.
Published 20 days ago by Anders Alexandersson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dafoe is God
Dafoe, a great soundtrack, and amazing cinematography carry this mediocre script to it's end. While I didn't appreciate the ending, the previously listed factors make up for it.
Published 23 days ago by X
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely made regardless of regrettable and slight liberal tilt
Movie is well done. Nice acting and beautiful scenery.
Refreshing for the absence of foul language, gratuitous sex or violence. Read more
Refreshing for the absence of foul language, gratuitous sex or violence. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rextrent
2.0 out of 5 stars
stinker..boring..yawning..
My title sums it up pretty fairly, this movie had potential but it was just so slow..30 minutes into this snooz fest my eyes were just bleeding..
Published 1 month ago by Shawn Walden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-rounded and thoughtful drama - SPOILER ALERT!!
What strikes me about this film is the subtle parallels drawn throughout, creating a compelling arc without the unnecessary flash-bang nonstop action sequences we've been bombarded... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Spyglass
3.0 out of 5 stars
I hated seeing animals get killed...and the ending
Why do I give it 3 stars?
It's a very well made movie, don't get me wrong and acting was good, the set looked good too, the plot wasn't bad in fact and humans were depicted in... Read more
It's a very well made movie, don't get me wrong and acting was good, the set looked good too, the plot wasn't bad in fact and humans were depicted in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dikkson Fokkerson
