A new feature film by Paul Greengrass.
A Western is not what I expected from director Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks - but they have achieved just that with News of the World, and did a decent job at that. The tale of a travelling news man in the harsh world shortly after the American Civil War, who comes across an orphaned girl in need of transportation to her only remaining family. The film is worth watching for several reasons.
While cinemas are still closed in many countries, the number of new films being released on streaming platforms is increasing. News of the World is one of these examples, which was filmed for the big screen but now released on Netflix - better to be seen on a smaller screen than not at all. On a reasonably sized television, the beauty of a Western and the wonderful sceneries can also be appreciated.
Tom Hanks plays a character with an unusual profession: Captain Kidd is a Civil War veteran, who travels from town to town in Texas and reads the news to the townspeople who cannot read or don't have any other source of information. It is a lonely and sometimes dangerous job in these harsh times, but it is visible that he enjoys his profession. His life, however, changes drastically when a chance encounter with an orphan leads him to change his travel plans.
The 10-year-old Johanna has already suffered much when she was abducted and raised by the Kiowa tribe, and is to be brought to her only living relatives after being taken from this second family. Completely alone and scared, speaking only Kiowa, the little girl is dependent on the stranger who takes is upon him to help out, and protect her from the many dangers for a young girl. She is a fierce and resourceful girl, as Captain Kidd quickly notices, but completely unaccustomed to the world she was forced to enter - for the second time in her life.
German actress Helena Zengel (known to German-speaking audiences from her performance in Systemsprenger) plays the unusual girl masterfully, especially given her age. She has already been nominated for an SAG and a Golden Globe as a best supporting actress for this role, which brings up memories of Anna Paquin, who is the youngest Oscar winner in recent history at age 11. (Tatum O'Neal was 10 in 1974, offically the youngest.)
The film is not only a traditional Western with some rough brawls, fights and travelling with horses in beautiful surroundings, but also includes some interesting elements such as the Kiowa tribe, the German-originated Americans in Texas as well as some political elements with similarities to current times. The relationship between Kidd and Johanna is at the center, though, and gives the two protagonists a beautiful opportunity to play - without using many words. Overall, an interesting film with many surprising elements.
(Images: IMDB)