People are voting emotionally.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

'The Homesman' is a Western that depart from standard plotting; indeed, its title at first appears strange, as the eponymous "homesman" appears to be only a secondary character. While I generally like films that move in unexpected directions, however, it's hard to sympathise with the homesman as a central character. One must also wonder if Hilary Swank, a perfectly attractive woman by any normal standards, gets tired of playing "irredemably unfeminine" in Hollywood, while Meryl Streep has a strange cameo in a role so uninteresting it seems wholly bizarre she was cast in it. The film certainly doesn't romanticise life on the range; the contrast between wild Nebraska and civilised Iowa may, however, be overdone, and its presentation of mental illness is really rather primitive. Ultimately, Swank's character is the only one with depth, and the movie loses its focus once it turns away from her.

The Homesman starts out with a clear sense of direction, and it maintains that direction for the first hour. Then a strange and unwarranted turn of events throw the movie off track and the last several scenes rob it any integrity or meaning. It gets to where it was supposed to go, minus any climax or resolution. What we are left with is little more than a two hour cue card lesson about some of the Unkindness of the Frontier.The premise involves Swank volunteering to transport three crazed widows across miles of unsettled land to a hospital. She employs Jones as a body guard in exchange for saving him from the noose Though somewhat heavy in mannerism, Hilary Swank gives a strong performance, as does Tommy Lee Jones. Swank is battling some inner emotional turmoil that earns our sympathy, so when the script writes her out in a contrived manner, we are left feeling dumbfounded. Jones is left to finish the job, but the movie fails to showcase his personal investment, or give us a reason why he would bother. There is a creepy and grizzly scene where he resorts to arson in order to steal food for his harem. When he reaches the end of his journey he is welcomed by a curiously cast Merryl Streep playing a relatively flat, five minute role that is far from top billing. There is nothing formally wrong with her performance, its just that her reputation is overwhelms the scene. It would be similar like watching Justin Bieber play at a retirement home. She and Jones have a nice exchange and then the movie ends on a bizarre and emotionally void note that reminds us that all the proceedings have amounted to virtually nothing. It started as one picture and ends as another.

'The Homesman' is a decent enough, well-written Western drama that is everything you expect it to be, but it had the potential to be a lot better. The film has an expensive appearance and the cinematography is excellent, with some great attention to detail.The film also features a strong cast including Meryl Streep and the talented Hailee Steinfeld, who seems to fill these roles in Westerns perfectly. The problems with 'The Homesman' start with the pacing, which feels way too slow, even for a Western. The ending is also unnecessarily drawn out, adding very little to the film.The plot, whilst interesting enough to hold your attention, never really takes off and feels somewhat shallow. All in all, 'The Homesman' met my expectations, but I'm still left somewhat disappointed that it didn't do anything more. I think it had the potential to be much better.

The Homesman is an odd movie that probably most accurately conveys the stress and fatigue of frontier life. Swank's character is charged with the care of three insane women and enlists the help of a ne'er-do-well to help her herd them back east. She adeptly conveys the outward strength of her character with the inward draining loneliness and insecurities that women faced out there alone. Jones's character contrasted that with the spitfire of life and his surviving all of the hell that the West puts anyone through with a mocking smile. The two make a well matched, albeit unlikely pair. They seem to compliment each other even as they fail to understand just what makes the other one tick. Swank is righteous and God fearing; a hard working and extremely likable woman who battles her loneliness as best she can. Trying desperately to see the bright side of things. Jones is surly and apathetic. Not caring a wit about anyone but himself and forcing himself to look the other way rather than view the demons this woman has on her shoulders.It has its high points and its low points but it keeps you intrigued for its slow duration. Swank looks at home in this costume piece and Jones knows how to handle the story, even if the ending leaves you feeling slightly bereft and more than a little bewildered. 6.8/10