the butcher's crown movie review

Buther’s Crossing: Is There Any Truth Behind Nicolas Cage’s Movie?

Directed by Gabe Polsky, ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ is a Western drama  featuring the likes of Nicolas Cage , Jeff Medley, and more. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th century, ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ recounts the journey of Will Andrews, a bored Harvard student, to the little community of Butcher’s Crossing. To satisfy his need for excitement and financial gain, he signs up for a buffalo hunting trip. 

Through it all, the crew must grapple with the ethical dilemmas of their actions as they encounter life-threatening obstacles in the harsh environment of their unrelenting buffalo hunt. Unfortunately, when they return to the Butcher’s Crossing with their buffalo skins, they find the market has shifted. The movie explores ideas of disillusionment, greed, and the collision between human ambitions and the indifference of nature. This film deftly dissects the romanticization and the harsh reality of the American frontier. Given the film’s analysis of realistic themes, one might wonder if ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ is based on real events. Here are the facts.

Is Butcher’s Crossing a True Story?

No, Butcher’s Crossing is not based on a true story. Instead, the movie draws inspiration from John Edward Williams’ best-selling Western fiction novel of the same name. However, this by Gabe Polsky-directed Western fiction does take some creative liberty for dramatization. Gabe Polsky is a well-known name in the industry, hailed for directing highly successful movies like ‘Red Army,’ ‘In Search of Greatness,’ ‘The Motel Life,’ and more. In addition, Gabe Polsky is also credited for penning the screenplay alongside Liam Satre-Meloy and John Williams. 

When asked about his decision to adapt John Edward Williams’ novel for the silver screen, Polsky stated that the themes of the story resonated deeply with him, presenting a fundamental exploration of life’s meaning and purpose, as well as a curiosity about human nature, ego, and the driving forces behind our actions. The story of what happened to the buffalo remained largely untold in film, and Polsky had a great affection for the outdoors and the mountains. However, it was primarily the narrative’s ability to encapsulate the universal human journey that drew him in. From an initial state of naivety and romanticism to the sobering experiences and choices one makes along the way, Polsky found it to be a beautifully tragic story.

The movie is littered with heavy themes like man vs. nature, corruption, idealism, loneliness, and more. The protagonists in the movies are led by their desire for riches to go on a buffalo hunting trip, which provides the setting for the movie’s examination of greed. Furthermore, when they’re busy killing animals for their own financial gain, the movie brilliantly explores the ethical conundrums they encounter.

The idea of man’s fight against nature is brought to the forefront by the trip that Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) and his friends take into the wilderness. In the course of their struggle to triumph against nature, the protagonists in the movie go through a variety of arduous experiences, both physically and emotionally. The decisions they make show how they have grown and how they have persevered despite their circumstances.

What separates ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ from the rest of its herd is its exploration of “The Myth of the Frontier” via the eyes of Will Andrews. The movie’s protagonist, Will Andrews, is a great representation of this idea. He’s a young man from Boston’s upper class who decides to forgo his Harvard education in favor of a life on the frontier. His motivation stems from idealistic Western stereotypes that paint the region as a haven for risk-taking and self-discovery. Will’s willingness to leave behind his easy life in the East and make the difficult trek to Butcher’s Crossing is reminiscent of the mythic appeal of the frontier.

Therefore, ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ is not rooted in reality but deals with many realistic themes associated with the Wild Wide West. ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ delves into the pointlessness of human effort in the face of immense, unstoppable forces. Especially in a setting where existence is precarious, the character’s experiences and acts prompt philosophical reflection on the meaning and value of life.

Read More: Best Western Movies on Netflix 

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‘butcher’s crossing’ review: nicolas cage goes buffalo hunting in a bleak, listless western.

Cage plays a seasoned buffalo hunter and costar Fred Hechinger a younger cowboy who looks up to him in Gabe Polsky's film.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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Hechinger’s Will Andrews shows up in Kansas in 1874, seeking out a buffalo-hide trader (McDonald, played by Sound of Metal ‘s Paul Raci) his father once did a favor for. The youngster hopes McDonald will introduce him to a hunter, but the grouchy, impatient dealer has other ideas about how to return the favor: Give up this idea, he says; this life is a sickness that ruins men.

Persisting, Will hooks up with Cage’s Miller, whose gruffness eases when he realizes Will might put money where his curiosity is. Glowering under a shaved scalp and a massive buffalo coat, he winds up offering to let Will fund an expedition in search of the “biggest haul” of animals anyone here has seen. As the men discuss hiring a crew, and a pretty prostitute acquaintance of Miller’s (Rachel Keller) sidles up to the boy admiringly, you can practically hear the fingers sliding into Will’s pocket to rob him blind.

It’s an arduous trip, but this is no epic, and Polsky doesn’t invest the time to really make us feel what the men endure. They nearly die of thirst, they witness what local tribes have done to white men who came before them, and then they find it: a huge herd whose hides are healthier than they’re used to seeing, all gathered in a valley where they’ll be easy to pick off. Easy, that is, if your spirit can take sitting quietly for hours, pumping one rifle shot after another at beasts who could kill you instead if the idea occurred to them. (Stomach-turning long shots show fields littered with mutilated buffalo, lying to rot after Fred gets their skins off.)

It takes an astonishingly long time, and the dollar signs in their eyes don’t keep the men from growing impatient and angry with each other. If there were hints of a Heart of Darkness vibe to Miller, who keeps his scalp Kurtz-like with a giant Bowie knife, they manifest more fully now: Long, long after they’ve gathered more hides than they can transport, Miller keeps shooting, insisting on completely erasing this herd. By the time his men might be ready to abandon him, it’s too late. Winter falls, closing the pass out of these mountains and forcing the hunting party to hunker down for months.

Though Will was “young and soft” when he arrived, Hechinger hardens as the film moves through winter, his opaque expression forcing us to imagine what lessons this experience is teaching him. This could be the origin story of a cynical, soul-dead cattle baron, or it could be a blip of youthful recklessness for a man who’ll go back east and practice law. One thing’s fairly certain: Whatever these hunters get paid, it won’t be worth it.

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Butchers review – worn-out horror tropes salvaged by good performances

Rural holidays get a bad rep in an atmospheric slasher that, despite one-note victims and questionable accents, has terrifying moments

H ere is another one of those horror flicks where young people on holiday in rural places are terrorised by crazed degenerates. Even if Butchers is more preoccupied with paying homage to its slasher ancestors than carving out its own turf, the opening scene is atmospheric enough. Against the icy canvas of a snow-covered graveyard, two brothers, Owen (Simon Phillips) and Oswald (Michael Swatton), are burying their mother: the occasion is solemn as Owen delivers a half-hearted two-sentence eulogy. But things kick off when they glimpse a car breaking down, and straight away we are into gore as the brothers ambush and brutally terrorise their first victims.

Unfortunately, Butchers struggles to keep up this momentum after the film cuts to two 20-something couples speeding through this cursed terrain. (The brothers are not professional butchers but rather hobbyists with a makeshift slaughterhouse.) These young city folks are eminently dislikable – two of them are hooking up and cheating on their respective partners – yet none of these details helps flesh them out, nor encourage much sympathy at their gory demise.

Backwoods killers are a common enough device, but Butchers takes the odd decision to have its Canadian killers speak with a southern drawl à la Texas Chainsaw Massacre, an intentional incongruity that doesn’t really work. Heavy-handed sound effects don’t help, either.

Nevertheless, despite the meandering script, it’s Phillips’ performance that keeps the film’s pulse going. His Owen is exhilaratingly unpredictable, alternating between moments of meticulous villainy and sheer lunacy – one moment he will be refitting a spooky music box while eyeing his oblivious prey, next he will be whacking his victim bloodily, channelling a kind of biblical righteousness that makes him slippery, fascinating and, most importantly, terrifying to watch. Despite Phillips’ cleaver-wielding swagger, however, Butchers is pretty much dead meat, an amalgam of worn-out tropes unsuccessfully zombified to life.

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Butcher's Crossing - What We Know So Far

Fans of both survival movies and Westerns that attempt to explore the harsh reality behind the mythology of the "American West" received some excellent news this year, when it was announced that Gabe Polsky ("Red Army") would be directing and co-writing a big screen adaptation of author John Williams' 1967 frontier novel, "Butcher's Crossing" (via Variety ). Since Williams' novel is far from your typical glimpse into late nineteenth century North America (think more Cormac McCarthy, and less Sergio Leone ) the film promises to be a brutalist blend of an oft-glorified but extremely ugly chapter in U.S. history, and man's capacity to survive against the awesome power of nature and isolation. 

"Butcher's Crossing" reunites Polsky with his "Red Army" co-executive producer, Liam Satre-Meloy, who'll write the screenplay alongside the director. Deadline reports that "Polsky and Phiphen Pictures' Molly Conners will produce alongside Will Clarke and Andy Mayson for Altitude Film Entertainment and Cage's Saturn Films." So, now that the behind-the-scenes ducks are all in a row, when can we expect to see this anticipated adaptation? 

What is the release date of Butcher's Crossing?

Variety announced recently that Saban Films ("Under the Stadium Lights") has officially acquired the movie, in a deal that will cover distribution rights in "North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia" (Altitude will handle UK and Irish distribution). Although an official release date has yet to be announced, "Butcher's Crossing" is slated to begin shooting in the U.S. this upcoming October (via Deadline ). 

Considering the narrative's 19th-century North American frontier setting — and the fact that buffalo will need to be involved — it's likely the film will require some serious on-location shooting. The title of Williams' groundbreaking novel refers to an ominously named town (Butcher's Crossing) in Kansas, and squeezing all those wide-open spaces into a studio in southern California seems highly unlikely. Hollywood's latest sneaky semi-Western epic, " Pig ," began shooting in the fall of 2019, and was released in the summer of 2021. If its timeline is any sort of litmus test, fans could potentially expect to see "Butcher's Crossing" as early as next winter, though an early-to-mid 2023 release seems a stronger possibility. 

Who is in the cast of Butcher's Crossing?

Speaking of "Pig," fresh off the success of director Michael Sarnoski's rumored Oscar contender,  Nicolas Cage  has landed yet another intriguingly off-beat role with "Butcher's Crossing." The timing makes sense. On starring in "Pig," Cage told Vanity Fair that he saw the film as an opportunity to remind both himself and "the folks in the critical universe" that smaller, quieter dramas are "another one of (his) paintbrushes." The reminder must have worked, because director Gabe Polsky calls Cage "one of the most dynamic and interesting performers," noting that "to have him take on this brilliant role will be exciting" (via Variety ). 

Cage will play experienced buffalo hunter, Miller. 

As of this writing, Cage is the only actor to be officially named on the project, and yet, this 2017 BUILD series interview with Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways," " Wings ") suggests the actor and director may still be attached to the film. In the interview, Church talks at-length about Williams' novel, and its poignant de-romanticization of late eighteen hundreds America. 

Currently, no outlet has released any official statements naming Church as a part of the "Butcher's Crossing" cast, but he'd certainly have no problem slipping into the role of the novel's gritty frontiersman Charley Hoge, or even that of the trader and financier J.D. McDonald. 

What is the plot of Butcher's Crossing?

While it's too soon to definitively say if Gabe Polsky's adaptation of Williams' novel will be completely faithful to its source, the current "Butcher's Crossing" synopsis suggests that's the case.  Variety reports that the new movie is "set in the 1870s, and finds Cage's character taking on a young Harvard dropout, who is seeking his destiny in the Colorado wilderness. Together, they embark on a harrowing journey risking life and sanity." 

Per  Goodreads , "Butcher's Crossing" follows a young, East Coast academic named William Andrews, who, "fired up by Emerson to seek 'an original relation to nature,' drops out of Harvard and heads west." After finding himself in the small town of Butcher's Crossing, Will meets a veteran frontiersman who convinces him to go on a hunt for buffalo in the previously untapped territory of Colorado. At first, the men find themselves caught up feverishly in the so-called thrill of kill, but as winter sets in — and with it, a brutal reality that tests the men's wills — the world around them grows increasingly dark. After being snowed-in for the entirety of winter, the desperate group emerges the following spring "half-insane with cabin fever, cold, and hunger,"  before eventually making their way back to Butcher's Crossing, where they "find a world as irremediably changed as they have been."

On the surface, "Butcher's Crossing" sounds like a blend of Western adventure and a good old fashioned man vs. nature survival story. Thematically, however, Williams' novel seeks to pit starry-eyed Transcendentalism against a harsh Realism, culminating in a battle that the experienced Cage has proven himself more than capable of slowly teasing out.

‘Butcher’s Crossing’ Review: Nicolas Cage’s Slow-Burn Turn Propels Gabe Polsky’s Grimly Fatalistic Western

Fred Hechinger co-stars as a Harvard dropout who risks losing more than his innocence in the wilderness of 1870s Colorado.    

By Joe Leydon

Film Critic

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When we first encounter Miller in Butcher’s Crossing, an aptly named 1874 Kansas town where the major industry is freighting buffalo hides, Miller seems implacably obsessed yet not entirely unreasonable as he talks about making a once-in-a-lifetime “big kill” in a valley hidden deep in the Colorado Territory. He claims he stumbled across the place years earlier, and witnessed hundreds, maybe thousands, of buffalo roaming undisturbed. All he needs to capture “one of the biggest hauls anyone has ever seen,” Miller says, is a dependable crew and, of course, financial backing.

Unfortunately, Will ignores McDonald’s counsel. Even more unfortunately, he soon makes the acquaintance of Miller, who is more than willing to overlook the young man’s inexperience and bring him along for the dangerous ride —provided Miller makes a sizable cash investment in the enterprise.

“Butcher’s Crossing” is at heart a brutal coming-of-age story, as Will — a character who might be described as a tenderfoot in a more traditional Western — loses his innocence while discovering that McDonald’s warnings were, if anything, understated. He joins Miller, a crotchety Bible-thumping cook named Charlie (Xander Berkeley), and a cynical skinner named Fred (Jeremy Bobb) in the long trek through dangerous territory that other hunters have avoided, to arrive at the site in the Colorado mountains where Miller plans to make his dreams come true.

But dreams have a nasty habit of turning into nightmares.

Even before they reach the remote valley, Miller comes across as a volatile mix of Captain Ahab and John Wayne’s Thomas Dunson in “Red River,” relentlessly pushing himself and his men as they risk dying of thirst, encountering hostile Indians (who are referenced but never seen), or simply getting irretrievably lost. After they finally do reach their destination, however, Miller — whose shaven head unavoidably conjures memories of Marlon Brando in “Apocalypse Now”) — descends into something perilously close to madness as he systematically slaughters scads of bison, winding up with far more hides than he and his team could reasonably expect to transport back to Butcher’s Crossing.

Will is repeatedly sickened by the carnage — indeed, the graphic depiction of the killing and skinning may repulse members of the audience as well — and Fred pointedly warns that they should leave before winter snow blocks their path home. Which, of course, it eventually does, setting us up for an intense drama on the order of “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” as greed and isolation take their psychic toll.

Trouble is, there is a conspicuous dearth of genuine suspense throughout “Butcher’s Crossing,” a movie that, while compelling in stretches, is too ponderous overall to achieve the impact for which it obviously strives. Polsky peppers the film with Will’s dreams and hallucinations, sequences that resemble nothing so much as the bad LSD trips in drug-centric 1960s exploitation flicks, and are more annoying than illuminating. The characters are so thinly written that they are almost entirely defined by the actors playing them. This is particularly true of the young prostitute played by Rachel Keller, who’s seen early in the film and later in Will’s fantasies, and doubtless will remind some movie buffs of the belly dancer who fleetingly appears in Robert Aldrich’s “The Flight of the Phoenix” primarily so they could place a woman on the poster.  

Ultimately, “Butcher’s Crossing” works best as a blunt-force cautionary tale depicting how the West was lost because of men like Miller, who wantonly raped the land while seeking fortunes or, in Will’s case, satisfying their curiosity. The bitterly ironic ending stops short of force-feeding just desserts to all of the characters. But it’s a satisfying conclusion nonetheless.

Reviewed at AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston, Oct. 21, 2023. In Toronto Film Festival 2022. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 107 MIN.

• Production: A Saban Films release of an Altitude Film Entertainment, Ingenious Media presentation of a Gabe Polsky Prod. production, in association with Altitude Film Entertainment, Phiphen Pictures. Producers: Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, Gabe Polsky, Molly Conners, Amanda Bowers, Gabe Polsky. Executive producers: William V. Bromley, Shanan Becker, Jonathan Saba, Ness Saban, Richard J. Berthy, Jane Sinisi, Alan Polsky, Peter Touche, Christelle Conan, Andrea Scarso, Mike Runagall, Gusharn Khaira.
• Crew: Director: Gabe Polsky. Screenplay: Gabe Polsky, Liam Satre Meloy, based on the novel by John Edward Williams. Camera: David Gallego. Editor: Nick Pezzillo. Music:
• With: Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Rachel Keller, Xander Berkeley, Jeremy Bobb, Paul Raci.

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‘Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker’ 4K UHD Review

Stars: Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell, Bo Svenson, Julia Duffy, Bill Paxton, Marcia Lewis, Britt Leach, Steve Eastin | Written by Steve Breimer, Alan Jay Glueckman, Boon Collins | Directed by William Asher

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is a gripping and unsettling horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Helmed by William Asher, a veteran director of US sitcoms like I Love Lucy and Bewitched , this cult classic from 1981 has gained a reputation for its intense storyline and memorable performances and this release by Severin Films marks the films disc debut here in the UK – yes, former video nasty is finally seeing the light of day in the UK and it’s a feature-packed 4K release too!

At its core, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker follows the story of Billy Lynch (Jimmy McNichol), a young man whose life takes a dark turn following the death of his parents. As he struggles to cope with the loss, he becomes increasingly dependent on his manipulative aunt Cheryl, portrayed with chilling perfection by Susan Tyrrell. Cheryl’s sinister motives gradually unravel as she attempts to control every aspect of Billy’s life, leading to a series of shocking events that culminate in a gripping and unexpected climax.

One of the standout elements of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is its expertly crafted tension. From the eerie atmosphere to the suspenseful sequences, the film keeps viewers guessing until the very end. The cinematography adds to the sense of unease, with clever use of lighting and framing enhancing the film’s overall mood.

The performances in the film are top-notch across the board. Jimmy McNichol delivers a nuanced portrayal of Billy, capturing both his vulnerability and resilience in the face of adversity. Susan Tyrrell is truly unforgettable as Cheryl, exuding a menacing presence that lingers long after the credits roll. The supporting cast also shines, with notable performances from Bo Svenson as the determined detective, and Julia Duffy as Billy’s girlfriend, who becomes increasingly suspicious of Cheryl’s intentions.

In addition to its thrilling plot and standout performances, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker ” also explores deeper themes of manipulation, obsession, and the dark side of family dynamics. It’s a film that will leave you thinking long after it’s over, prompting discussions about the nature of evil and the lengths people will go to protect their own interests.

Overall, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is a must-see for fans of psychological thrillers. With its tense atmosphere, stellar performances, and thought-provoking themes, it’s a film that leaves a lasting impression and solidifies its place as a cult classic in the genre.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Audio Commentary with Star Jimmy McNichol
• Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Producer Steve Breimer And Co-Writer Alan Jay Glueckman, Moderated By Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson
• Audio Commentary with Co-Producer and Unit Production Manager Eugene Mazzola
• Extreme Prejudice – Interview with actor Bo Svenson
• Point and Shoot – Interview with Director of Photography Robbie Greenberg
• Family Dynamics – Interview with Editor Ted Nicolaou
• Cast and Crew Interviews with actors Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell and Steve Eastin, Make-Up Artist Allan A. Apone and Producer Steve Breimer

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker was released on Special Edition Dual 4K UHD and Blu-ray today, courtesy of Severin Films.

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“The Butcher’s Wife” wants to be a whimsical, heartwarming fantasy, and it almost succeeds, but it is betrayed by its own need to put a Hollywood spin on a plot that doesn't need one. It begins by asking us to make a romantic leap of faith, and after we've made it, the movie says, uh, hold on, think again, she fell for the wrong guy and it’s time to make another leap. The plot mechanics of the second leap drag the movie back to Earth again.

The movie commences with a real glow, though. On a lonely tower on the headland of some forgotten island off the coast of the southern United States, a beautiful young woman stands, the wind in her hair, and looks out to sea and toward her future. Her name is Marina, and she has been aware of a psychic gift since her earliest years. Among the things she “knows” is that her future husband will one day appear to her, and indeed, in no time at all a small boat is approaching the shore, with a lone fisherman in it.

A voice inside of her announces that this is the man who is to be her husband, and so she wades into the water, climbs onto the boat, embraces the startled man and informs him of this fact. He is inclined to agree with her, and within two days they are wed. The man’s name is Leo Lemke, he is a butcher in Greenwich Village, and Marina journeys north with him and takes up her place behind the butcher’s counter. She is happy to be the butcher’s wife.

Up until this point, and for a few scenes afterward, “The Butcher’s Wife” proceeds with a serene certainty. The movie has faith in its whimsy, and so do we. Demi Moore is warm and cuddly as Marina, a simple, soft-spoken woman with a Southern accent and a direct way of speech that seems to cut through confusions and difficulties.

George Dzundza is a stalwart butcher, friendly and sensible and loving. He has been a bachelor until into his 40s, and if he had not taken that fishing trip down south, he would be a bachelor still.

But now a bride has dropped out of the heavens for him, and the very stars themselves seem to bless his marriage.

Then the movie loses faith in the momentum of its original inspiration, and falls back upon the devices of screenwriting formulas. The butcher, you see, is stout and balding and almost as homely as Gene Hackman . So, obviously, in the Hollywood mind, he has not evolved high enough on the ladder of personal attractiveness to deserve Demi Moore. A mistake must have been made. The plot develops a compulsion to reassign her to a more handsome man, and that’s where the movie goes wrong.

There is a psychiatrist who works across the street, in this Greenwich Village street which was built on a sound stage and contains mostly characters in the story. He is played by Jeff Daniels , is insecure about how much good he is doing his patients, but is basically a nice guy. He begins to hear repercussions about this psychic woman who has moved in behind the butcher’s counter.

She starts giving advice to his patients, and they start heeding the advice. This is not good for business.

Among the patients who are being improved by psychic insights is Stella Kefauver ( Mary Steenburgen ), a shrinking violent who has always harbored a dream to sing in a nightclub. Dare to realize your dream! the butcher’s wife advises. And one day she does, in one of the movie’s best scenes, singing a torch song with such grace and feeling that we are inspired to look at Mary Steenburgen all over again. But then the psychiatrist and the butcher’s wife meet to discuss these matters, and of course it is clear that sooner or later they will end up in each other’s arms.

All of this should be painful for the butcher, who had my complete sympathy. The screenplay labors, and produces an explanation that eventually accounts for the reassignment of the various romantic partners. But I was disappointed that “The Butcher’s Wife” lost faith in its original romantic inspiration. Is it not possible for a portly butcher to have a ripe young wife? Is it not possible for a clean-cut psychiatrist to fall in love with a slightly faded rose? This movie takes us back to the days of the high school prom, in which couples seemed to choose each other on the basis of a pecking order of personal attractiveness, so that the king and queen of the prom were the two best-looking people in class, and over in the corner were all the nerds and wallflowers.

The fatal mistake of “The Butcher’s Wife” is to allow itself to become sidetracked by the process of partner reassignment. There is an unspoken cruelty to the way Marina ditches Leo, and the movie fudges it. There is also a lot of unnecessary dialogue explaining things that need never have happened in the first place. If Marina had stayed by Leo’s side, there behind the meat counter, and had contented herself with helping others make the same leap of faith she made, this movie might have been a little classic, instead of a big manipulative machine.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Sheila o'malley, film credits.

The Butcher's Wife (1991)

Rated PG-13

Demi Moore as Marina

Jeff Daniels as Dr. Alex Tremor

George Dzundza as Leo Lemke

Frances McDormand as Grace

Margaret Colin as Robyn Graves

Mary Steenburgen as Stella Kefauver

Directed by

• Terry Hughes

Produced by

• Wallis Nicita
• Lauren Lloyd
• Ezra Litwak
• Marjorie Schwartz

Photographed by

• Donn Cambern
• Michael Gore

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Review: ‘Butcher’s Crossing’

If the myths behind Nicolas Cage are to be believed, no movie with the actor in the lead is bad. Cage carries a fun and spritely attitude to any role he inhabits. As Miller, in Butcher’s Crossing , the bison trapper is as much a myth as the actor is.

In all his glory, complete with a perfectly rounded, razor-shaved skull, Cage is the epitome of cool as he leads an expedition to find a rumored bison herd in the early 1870s. Cage imbues Miller with a level of pride that borders on the edge of insanity as he leads young Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) on an adventure on the then-wide-open frontiers of what would today be Montana. Will, a young lad of wealth and privilege, has dropped out of Harvard for an education and experience before settling down.

Butcher’s Crossing ’s script by director Gabe Polsky and Liam Satre-Meloy draws inspiration from the novel by the same name, written by John Edward Williams. Polsky’s direction feels like you’re turning the pages of a well-worn book; the characters on the screen feel commonplace even as the story purports a conservation message in addition to the current generation’s desire for experiences.

As the party makes its way across the Great Plains, Hechinger ( News of the World ) is believable in his transition from someone of wealth in any era to someone who becomes rough and tumble. Despite the multiple attempts at an ending, there is a twist that might be perceived as preachy to some and appropriate to today’s audiences. Either way, Cage and Hechinger make for an unexpectedly exciting pair on screen, even if the story is run-of-the-mill.

The rest of the cast, Xander Berkley as the faithful one-armed veteran of frontier land, Charley Hoge disappears into his costume and makeup, offering a haunting performance, and Jeremy Bobb as the cocky hide-skinner, Fred Schneider are strong in their own right; however, Polsky focuses our attention on Will and Miller.

Polsky made the right decision to go after Cage for the Miller role; Cage elevates the spookier elements in the film while Will’s journey is effectively conveyed by Hechinger, as the party overstays their welcome and Mother Nature teaches them a thing or two about survival. Polsky relies on instincts to tell this frontier story. Butcher’s Crossing does not cover any new ground.

There’s a moment of irony: a Western that doesn’t cover new ground. It is about finding new opportunities to grow and develop while finding your manhood.

The adventure depicted on the screen is not without its merits, though. Cinematographer David Gallego captures the Montanan essence in all its beauty: its openness, dangers, and the unexpected, meshing well with Cage ’s unbridled performance.

Butcher’s Crossing , which is now in theaters, would pair well as a double feature with Killers of the Flower Moon for similar settings. Though the story leaves you wanting more, the cast is full of strong enough performances to leave an impression.

As a Western, Butcher’s Crossing doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, yet it is worthy of a watch for Cage’s performance alone.

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Excellent refugee drama 'Aisha' brings out the best in 'Avengers,' 'Crown' stars

Letitia wright stars as a nigerian woman who flees to ireland and befriends a lonely ex-con (josh o’connor) as she pursues asylum..

“Aisha” largely tells its story in close-ups of Letitia Wright’s expressive face.

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Letitia Wright is world-famous for her role as Shuri in the “Black Panther” and “Avengers” films and Josh O’Connor is best known for his work on the TV series “Peaky Blinders” and “The Crown” and his recent co-starring role in “Challengers,” and both are versatile and gifted and screen-commanding performers who are well-deserving of the accolades and success they’ve achieved. They are stars. They would be stars in any era.

Which brings us to arguably their best work yet.

Three years ago, Wright and O’Connor teamed with the Irish writer-director Frank Berry on a film that was initially titled “Provision” but was renamed “Aisha,” after Wright’s character. After a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June of 2022 and releases in the United Kingdom and Ireland later that year, “Aisha” is finally getting a commercial release in the States, and while we know “Aisha” will be seen by only a fraction of the viewers who have enjoyed the work done by Wright and O’Connor in the aforementioned projects, the hope here is that if you have the opportunity to see this film, you will take advantage of that chance. This is one of the best movies of the year, featuring two of our finest actors at the top of their game. Wright’s lead performance is worthy of major award nominations, as is O’Connor’s supporting work.

Wright’s Aisha Osagie is a Nigerian refugee who has been in Ireland for a year, having fled her homeland after her father and brother were killed and she was brutally assaulted because her father had been unable to pay back loans he had taken to pay for Aisha’s university education. Under Ireland’s strict and much-maligned Direct Provision system (hence that earlier title of “Provision”), Aisha must stay in a residence that feels like a quasi-prison, as she prepares for the interview that will determine whether she can stay in Ireland and also bring her mother (Rosemary Aimyekagbon), who is in hiding in Lagos and is still in danger, to stay with her.

Writer-director Berry and cinematographer Tom Comerford follow Aisha’s almost Kafkaesque journey in a docudrama fashion that favors closeups of Wright’s incredibly effective and often beautifully subtle facial expressions and line deliveries. Aisha works as an assistant at a Dublin hairdressing salon where everyone is nice (albeit a little condescending at times).

At “home,” she tries not to butt heads with Francis (Stuart Graham), the manager at her residence who gives the outward appearance of being courtly and decent, but is in fact a controlling, um, jerk. Even a small infraction such as Aisha bringing in her own halal meat purchased from a local deli (she doesn’t trust the so-called halal food provided by the residence) and microwaving it in the kitchen of the residence earns Francis’ disfavor.

O’Connor’s Conor Healy is a socially awkward recovering addict with a prison record who takes a job as night shift security at the residence. Forever hunched over and casting a wary eye at the world, like a child or a puppy who has caused trouble and fully expects to be punished, Conor is stricken by how poorly the residents are treated. He strikes up a tentative friendship with Aisha, first sneaking her into the kitchen to microwave her meals after hours, eventually sharing halting but sweet conversations with her on the bus.

A security guard (Josh O’Connor) at Aisha’s residence hopes to have a relationship with her.

When Aisha is suddenly relocated to a residence outside Dublin that consists of rows of small trailers lined up in a parking lot, she loses her job and seems further away than ever from gaining asylum. She tells Conor that her life is too complicated, too filled with anguish, to even entertain any kind of personal relationship, but Conor is persistent in his own quiet way. (The moment when Conor asks Aisha if it’s all right if he kisses her is beautiful and heartbreaking and devastatingly powerful. We’re hoping against hope and the hard cold facts that they’ll somehow be able to forge some kind of life together.)

At times Aisha comes close to breaking; even the bureaucrats who are on her side encourage her to go into great and painful detail about the attacks on her and her family, in order to prove she’ll truly be in danger if she’s sent back home. You want to scream at these people to look at her, to LISTEN to her, to SEE her. Aisha keeps saying she’s not interested in a handout; all she wants is to be safe. How can that be too much to ask?

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‘civil war’ secures china theatrical release; first for an a24 production, james laurenson dies: ‘the crown’ and ‘coronation street’ actor was 84.

By Greg Evans

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James Laurenson , the British actor whose 50-year career included roles in Coronation Street, Midsomer Murders and The Crown , had died. He was 84.

His death was reported by multiple UK news outlets today. A cause of death and other specifics have not been reported.

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Laurenson also was known for his groundbreaking performance in a stage production and 1970 television broadcast of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II in which he and Ian McKellen shared a kiss, considered the first same-sex kiss for British television and arriving three years after homosexuality was decriminalized.

In 2011, Laurenson was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as the Ghost and the Player King in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Hamlet .

Born February 17, 1940, in New Zealand, Laurenson moved to London after university, making his film debut in 1969’s Women in Love . His career would include work on the stage, including many performances in Shakespeare plays and, in 1984, in his only musical, 42nd Street ; in film ( Pink Floyd’s The Wall ) and many TV series ( Prime Suspect, Crown Court, Lovejoy and U.S. series Cagney & Lacey and Remington Steele ).

According to UK news outlets, he is survived by second wife Cari Haysom and son Jamie from his previous marriage to actress Carol Macready.

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