Cross-border engagement seems very difficult. Where the rich man migrates to America across the border hoping to marry his beloved Penelope. But this man was not lucky when he met that drunk boy named Parson where he faced strange things in that strange country. There is no longer a sense of humor or predict the signs.
Featuring a hilariously bonkers turn from Pattinson, "Damsel" upends the Western tropes of hero, villain and damsel-in-distress with a mid-film twist that radically alters our perspective.
The filmmakers are poking fun at the male ego without portraying its more sinister aspects. It's a new spin on an old narrative - a fresh start if you will.
Damsel is one of those nouveau westerns that looks vaguely inspired by the Coen brothers... That type of genre tinkering can be refreshing as long as the writing is sharp. Damsel's writing is not sharp.
This warped, WTF western from the Zellner brothers gives Rob Pattinson a chance to shine. In a Hollywood of formulaic hack jobs, the Zellners know how to keep you guessing. Don't knock it. It's a gift.
Some may believe that the western-genre-turned-arthouse gimmick was played out long ago, but Damsel's fresh energy and pioneering spirit offers redemption on many levels, for characters and viewers alike.
Damsel is set some 150 years ago, but it's a timely social commentary about certain gender-based stereotypes that still exist in the movies. Mia Wasikowska kills it as Penelope.
It's a relief to see a movie which injects its dark subject matter with a dry sense of humor rather than reveling in the darkness and violence amidst its beautiful landscapes.
