Point by Point: The Proposition 7/10

A bandit (Guy Pearce) and his little brother are in jail, but the chief of police makes him a deal: He'll let them go free if he goes into the outback and kills his older brother, who's basically a sadistic yet smart jerk. He accepts, because otherwise this would be a short film.

The Good: The setting is simultaneously harsh and beautiful, very much by design. Glorious shots of the Australian wilderness show just how barren it can be. The acting is top-notch, although it takes a few minutes to get an ear for everyone's accents.

The Bad: There are a fair amount of "this is important" cinematography, which can be a little overbearing. The meandering pace accented with brutal violence may definitely throw some people.

The Ugly: It's never fun to watch someone lashed, but the winner here is the townfolk - they got a lot of butt-ugly people to stand around and look cross.

Points Pondered

• If you don't like flies, you should probably avoid Australia.


• Ray Whinstone does not quite look as fit as he did in Beowulf. I think he probably got some CG help with his abs. Just maybe.


• I bet that if you recite a line from a poem after being shot, and the guy that shot you enthusiastically continues the quote, it's of little solace.


• Are you still allowed to call it a Western if it takes place in Australia? Does it get a funny name, like Kangaroo Western?