One beautiful thing about westerns is that generally the premise is pretty straightforward. A simplistic story with twists and turns as well as suspense makes for an enjoyable movie. Such is the case for the new film, The Isolate Thief. It is a movie about a woman who finds some gold and people chase after her to get what they believe is rightfully theirs. Short, sweet, and to the point.
The film takes place in the 1800’s and, man, were the sets and locations a site to behold. The budget on this film seems like it was probably not made for much money at all. Though, that is hardly a knock on the film. What the crew behind the scenes was able to do with limited resources was quite impressive. It felt like we were watching a documentary with how gorgeous this movie looked. From the costumes to the Union outposts, it never felt like anything was out of place. Having budget restrictions probably helped the movie. When a film does not have much money, that is when creativity shines brightest.
The performance by Sean Bean steals the show. We do not quite know who he is until the latter part of the movie. By then, so much danger has broken loose that we do not know what to expect. The filmmakers had no issues with putting the protagonists in harm’s way. Which is a HUGE positive, because a lesser movie would simply make their protagonist into a world class assassin that has a very particular set of skills. This movie keeps you engaged because there is no plot armor for anyone. The stakes are quite high.
Mackenzie Foy, who is only in her mid-twenties, also turns in a stellar performance. She was probably best known for her role as Renesmee Cullen in the final two Twilight films, Breaking Dawn parts one and two. Though she will not be remembered for turning in a world class performance like Inde Navarette did in Obsession earlier this year, this is definitely Mackenzie’s breakout role. I would not be surprised if this is just the beginning of movie fans hearing her name at the top of a casting list.
One thing that really stood out, especially with a lower budget, was the action. The guns used and the blood splattering when someone got shot was so realistic. It was also helped by its actors who, thankfully, did not go over the top screaming bloody murder when they were in pain. Although one character comes pretty close to it. None of it was overacting, and that is the good part.
This movie is not perfect, however. Despite the payoff being worth it, the pacing is sort of all over the place. The first two acts are quite slow. Though this movie is only about 95 minutes, it moves at a brisk pace. While the payoff at the end of the film makes the audience’s patience worth it, upon a first time viewing it is hard to stay engaged for the duration of the film. I am never against dialogue and setup, but certain scenes just felt like they were drawn out for the sake of suspense. Build up can be a good thing, though at times, it feels like we are going up on a roller coaster and just waiting to drop and have it all be worth it. Well, I tend to avoid roller coasters at all costs, so sometimes build up is not always worth it in my eyes.
A fun fact about this movie, one of the main characters is played by an actor named Ty Simpkins. If that name sounds familiar, (which there is a good chance it doesn’t) it is because he was the little boy, Harley, who Tony Stark befriends in Iron Man 3. He originally was supposed to be in more films, as he signed a three picture deal with Marvel. But after Avengers: Endgame, Marvel decided to go in a different direction. Sure, Marvel Cinematic Universe money is good, but Simpkins does a good job for the time he is on screen. While his character is hardly a good person, Ty nails the layered depth of his character. There is one scene in particular where we see just how awful of a person he is. You will know it when you see it.
Something I really admired about this film is that it feels like there is not much gray area that the characters operate in. They are either good or bad, nothing in between. We see so many anti-heroes these days that it becomes exhausting to debate whether or not someone was a good person (or, at least, had good intentions). I am not sure when the last time was that we got a good western, much less a western that has a female lead. It was quite refreshing to watch.
In spite of the movie not having good pacing overall, the beginning scenes where we are shown the landscape of the film is beautiful. I am a visual person, so cinematography is quite important in my book. The film will probably have a million to one odds at winning any major awards, but, if it were to be nominated for anything, its costumes, set design, and cinematography are certainly deserving of praise.
4 out of 5 stars.
The Isolate Thief will probably not go down as one of the best films of the year. But, it certainly will be remembered as a top five film of the month of July. Which includes heavy hitters like The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and even Moana. It is always nice to discover a movie that had little known about it and it turns out to be rock solid.
Even though there are certainly bigger movies coming out this weekend, this might be the best film of the week. If you can find it in a theater near you, it is worth the watch. It is quite different from anything we have gotten this year. And, sure, being different does not always equal better. But in this case, it is very refreshing to see old school cinema being honored.
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