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The western appears to be experiencing a (minor) resurgence at the moment, which can only be a good thing in my book. The Proposition is Australia's version of a western, which has its own distinct flavour - think Peckinpah with more flies and you'd be along the right lines. I've always found Guy Pearce to be an underrated actor, since his work in such brilliant films as LA Confidential and Memento, and he again does some great work here. The film is rather bleak and sporadically pretty violent (hence the 18 certificate), but it is also highly engrossing. The film kicks off literally with a bang, and gets into the plot very quickly. From there it basically follows two strands, focusing on Pierce's and Ray Winstone's characters. The story's distinction between good and bad is very blurred, making it all the more intriguing and original. The only real flaws I could find were that the momentum seemed a bit stop-start in places, as it cut between the two story strands; and I found the ending slightly muted and anticlimactic (but still quite powerful). These just prevented the film earning a five star rating from me, but it's still highly recommended.
The summary
The Proposition is a grim but gripping Aussie western. You can almost feel the heat through the screen.
