News Of The World

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria on February 19, 2021.

(M) ★★★½

Director: Paul Greengrass.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Michael Covino, Fred Hechinger, Neil Sandilands, Thomas Francis Murphy, Ray McKinnon, Mare Winningham, Elizabeth Marvel.

Everyone was jealous of his convertible.

Paul Greengrass tends to make two kinds of film - gritty thrillers based on real-life events and Jason Bourne movies. News Of The World is neither of those things. It's also a first for Tom Hanks, who has never saddled up in a Western before.

But these are seasoned pros, and they both pull on the spurs and six-guns with accomplished ease. The end result is a high-quality time-filler that doesn't push any boundaries and might not stick in the memory quite like their previous collab Captain Phillips, but it's a fine piece of work.

Based on Paulette Jiles' novel of the same name, it follows Hanks' Captain Jefferson Kidd, a Civil War veteran who makes a living by travelling from town to town and reading newspapers to folks who either ain't got the time or skills to do so themselves. While on the road, he finds a young girl named Johanna (Zengel) who has been orphaned twice over - firstly when Native Americans took her from her family, and then a second time when the US government takes her back from the Native Americans who raised her. Kidd promises to take her to the next town, but the universe has other ideas.

News Of The World is like a simplified, less racist take on the final act of The Searchers, stretched out into the perfect vehicle for Hanks, AKA America's Dad, who pushes every paternal button with his performance. Kidd is an almost impossibly honourable hero, and as a result, every decision he makes is exactly as you expect. Hanks' performance is excellent and the character's well written, but the film is low on surprises and big on tropes.

In spite of the fore-knowledge of how things are going to play out, it's well worth watching, if only for Hanks and newcomer Zengel. This German 12-year-old does plenty with little, portraying large emotions with few words or facial expressions, shouldering as much of the film's load as Hanks. 

Perhaps its the expectations that come with Greengrass and Hanks, but News Of The World feels good without being great. It's superbly shot, filled with wonderful landscapes, and fine performances. It offers an insight into a fascinating world - post-Civil War Texas - and even has a bit to say about the nature of news and truth. 

But it never feels exceptional. It's enjoyable and pleasant, but it never seems to strive beyond that. News Of The World is like a solid piece of journalism - it covers the details well, is informative, holds your interest and has no typos. But it's not in that special league of truly impressive investigations and clever features that change the way you think and leave an impression.