The Power of the Dog

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 14 March 2022 > What's On

Ever since Jane Campion burst onto the world stage with an Oscar for The Piano, she has shown a deft capacity to depict buttoned up, repressed emotions. The Power of the Dog, nominated for 12 Oscars, is no exception. The Netflix new-generation Western stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plomens as Montana ranching brothers Phil and … Continue reading “The Power of the Dog”

On the Road: Nomadland

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 09 June 2021 > What's On

Nomadland is a fascinating insight to a largely invisible U.S. community: modern-day nomads not so far removed from the Depression-era migrant workers from John Steinbeck’s novels. Based on the non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century by Jessica Bruder, it explores a diverse group of often elderly Americans who have decided to reduce … Continue reading “On the Road: Nomadland”

News of the West

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 26 April 2021 > Ready to Use

News of the World is a not-so-classic Western starring Tom Hanks as a newsreader travelling across the U.S. during a violent and tumultuous period after the American Civil War. In a neat inversion of Indian abduction narratives like John Ford’s classic The Searchers, the Confederate veteran here is trying to return a child to her … Continue reading “News of the West”

The Western Re-invented

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 April 2018 > What's On

Two films present a modern take on the Western, through the eyes of a British and a Chinese director, and centring on the relationships between horses, a 15-year-old boy and a Native American cowboy.  Lean on Pete tells the story of a 15-year-old boy searching for a home and a race horse destined for the … Continue reading “The Western Re-invented”