Go West, Young Man
Christian Bale doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But we can’t help being stoked about his upcoming  Western (which he, interestingly, returns to as a genre. 3:10 to Yuma, anyone?)
Here’s some info:
. . . Hostiles, the Scott Cooper-directed Western acquisition title became the talk of Telluride for the quality of the picture and the strong performance by Christian Bale as well as Rosamund Pike and Wes Studi. The film played Telluride instead of Venice because the former made it part of a special Bale tribute, and perhaps no movie up for grabs captured the fancy of critics/journalists there more than this film. The big question: which distributor will step up, acquire the film and launch it in awards season.
Bale stars as an Army captain who in 1892 is assigned to transport an old Indian enemy (Studi) back to his tribal home. Along the way he picks up Pike, who has lost her entire family to a vicious Indian attack. There is hardness and hatred that has gotten the picture compared to the classic 1956 John Ford film The Searchers, which starred John Wayne.
Hey, Bale
Here’s the official synopsis of the film. It is going to be an intense ride. And hey, Christian doesn’t have to wear a mask. (We think.) Or chop anybody up. (We think). So it’ll be a nice change from some of his other iconic roles.
Set in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of a legendary Army Captain (Christian Bale) who, after stern resistance, reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief (Wes Studi) and his family back home to tribal lands. Making the harrowing and perilous journey from New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, the former rivals encounter a young widow (Rosamund Pike) whose family was murdered on the plains. Together, they must join forces to overcome the punishing landscape, hostile Comanche, and vicious outliers they encounter along the way.
Here’s the teaser trailer.
Ride or Die
