News Of The World Review: Tom Hanks Goes West In Latest Collaboration With Paul Greengrass
- naterichard98
- Feb 1, 2021
- 2 min read
DIRECTED BY: PAUL GREENGRASS STARRING: TOM HANKS, HELENA ZENGEL, & MICHAEL ANGELO COVINO
RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE, DISTURBING IMAGES, THEMATIC MATERIAL AND SOME LANGUAGE
LENGTH: 118 MINUTES
It's shocking to think as to how many movies Tom Hanks has starred in and how many A-List filmmakers he's worked with, that he has never starred in a western. Sure, one could argue that one of his most iconic characters is Sheriff Woody from the Toy Story franchise, but you'd have to be reaching to call any of the films in that franchise a tried and true 'western'. News of the World finds Mr. Hanks reteaming with his Captain Phillips director Paul Greengrass as well as starring alongside German child star Helena Zengel in his very first authentic western.
News of the World is based off the 2016 best-selling novel of the same name and follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a war veteran who travels from small town to small town reading newspapers to the townsfolk. Along his journey he stumbles across Johanna (Zengel), an orphaned young girl who was taken by the Kiowa years back. Kidd ultimately decides to help bring the girl to her aunt and uncle, thus begins a journey where danger lurks, new discoveries are made and a special bond is born.
One word to describe News of the World would be atmospheric, while this is a film that would benefit from being seen on the big screen (a privilege that I unfortunately chose not to have with this film), it still feels immersive nonetheless. From Darius Wolski's sweeping cinematography of the western landscapes to the film's excellent production design, the film is a visual marvel. James Newton Howard's score is equally impressive and some of his best work since his score for M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. That being said the pacing is quite slow and the film's two-hour runtime is certainly felt, leading to the film dragging at certain points.
One of the most surprising aspects of the film is Greengrass' direction which is a deviation from what we typically expect from him. Instead of the rugged and frenetic shaky cam that we're used to seeing from his work, Greengrass' trademarks feel scaled back here. Instead the film feels much more akin to a film from the 60s rather than a film of the modern times, which makes the film all the more refreshing.
Hanks as-expected turns in another excellent performance as Kidd, he brings his irresistible charm to the role while simultaneously feeling even more subdued than what one would expect. Helena Zengel may be one of 2020's biggest breakout stars giving a performance that goes toe-to-toe with Hanks. Zengel also shares excellent chemistry with Hanks and their dynamic is a large part as to why the film works as well as it does.
News of the World is the kind of throwback western that may serve as a comfort film in the coming years, from Hanks and Zengel's endearing presence to the film's authentic direction it's a film that proves to be an easy-watch.
4/5 Stars
News of the World is still playing in select theaters and is available to rent on premium video-on-demand.
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