Great Film overall

From my favorite movies..

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This little known Australian-American film has pretty much flown under the radar which is a shame as "The Hunter" is a good film that deserves a wider audience. The plot follows a hired gun (pun intended), Martin David, who is sent by a mysterious university to track down and gather evidence of the supposedly extinct Tasmanian tiger. Martin heads off to rural Tasmania where he boards with a young mother and her two children, who happen to be awaiting the overdue return of the family patriarch (a plot element that plays a key part later in the film) and begins his task. However things soon become suspicious as the locals seem determined to drive the American guest out of Australia and the mission Martin is on becomes a question of why is he really there?In the lead role of Martin is the always reliable Willem Dafoe. The actor brings a quiet reserve to the titular hunter as Martin is methodical and tactful in his modus operandi for tracking the Tasmanian tiger. However Dafoe brings out his soft side with the child actors playing the rambunctious Katie (self nicknamed 'Sass') and the silent Jaime though initially Martin is hesitant to allow the kids to be around him as he is focused on his mission. However as the narrative goes on and Martin gets to know lonely, but loving mother Lucy (Frances O'Connor) and the children, the kinder side of Martin's personality gives the film a touching and heartwarming angle to combat the more somber tones. While the film has a bittersweet climax, the final shot of Dafoe's Martin embracing the surviving son, Jaime, brings a tear to the eye after we learn the tragic fate of the rest of the family and can only wonder how these two lost souls will fare now.Shot on location in Tasmania, the landscapes are breathtaking and also have a hauntingly lonely quality. The mountainous terrain that Willem Dafoe's Martin traverses is treacherous, but abundant in lush forestry. The sun is rarely captured on-camera, overcast clouds pervade the sky adding to the film's somber mood as we journey onward with Martin. The color palette is also quite monotonous, but laden with vibrant colors like the green leaves of the trees as well as the grass to the brown exterior of Lucy's house to low candle- lighting in the evening at the house or the bright decorations made by the children. The richness of bright color is used sparingly for the lighter scenes in the film while the darker palettes are used for the film's scenes that follow Martin on his quest in the mountains.I think this is a film that will appeal to anyone. It's a bit serious, but does contain some heartfelt moments for the sentimental viewers.

I happened to find "The Hunter" at the local secondhand DVD store and at a price of $2 it as worth a try. A with Willem Dafoe at the helm you are already well on the way. And I will say that this was a good movie, and Willem Dafoe had a lot to carry and he came through on every account."The Hunter" is about Martin (played by Willem Dafoe) who is sent from France to the Tasmanian wilderness by his employer to look for the elusive Tasmanian tiger.While the movie is mostly just Dafoe out in the wilderness, then there was just something majestic and fulfilling about the movie. Not only did Dafoe carry the movie so well and put on a great performance, but the beauty of the movie and the atmosphere was just spellbinding.I think it was a shame that Sam Neill didn't have a bigger role in the movie, because he is also a great actor."The Hunter" is the type of movie that creeps up on you, sinks its teeth in and sticks with you. If you haven't already seen it, you should take an hour and a half to actually sit down and watch it, because it is a beautiful movie.

(57%) A film the promises much, but by the end offers only scraps; although there are things here that make this agreeable, but by the end nothing particularly all that great. Willem Dafoe is perfect as the slightly cold- hearted, obsessive hunter who travels to the breathtaking Tasmanian wilderness to hunt for an animal that may for may not be extinct. The premise was there for an interesting film, so when this trundles along, never truly finding its main course of intrigue in either the hunting aspect or the hippy family that take him in, meaning this grows into an annoyingly disappointing film to watch. Dafoe's character is somewhat interesting, and so is the theme of an almost mythical beast running wild and what the realities of that means is handled well. Overall this is one of those films that appears like it should be a lot higher praised or well known - that is until you actually see it.

For me, this is Willem Dafoe's best film. The whole movie belongs to him: he's in virtually every scene, and the abstract, spare nature of the script allows the director to focus his camera on the star's craggy features, capturing the look and spirit of a haunted but determined man who must do the right thing despite the odds stacked against him.Admittedly, THE HUNTER isn't for all tastes: it's slow indeed, and the essential narrative has a few plot holes and unbelievable bits here and there. But I loved it to bits. The atmosphere building is spot on, and rural Tasmania is brought to life in a wonderful way. The likes of Sam Neill and Dan Wyllie may play stereotypes, but they're entertaining ones, and Frances O'Connor is excellent as a damaged character.Much of the running time consists of Dafoe stalking through a deserted landscape, and these scenes are exquisitely beautiful with some of the best cinematography I've seen in an Australian movie. The ending is inevitable but tragic nonetheless. A fantastic film overall.