Robert Pattinson is a lover, not a fighter. Playing a businessman named Samuel in the days of the old West, he decides to travel across the country to reunite with his beloved fiancé Penelope (Mia Wasikowska, who I’ll have you know right off the bat is more than just the titular damsel in distress) believing her to be kidnapped by a local gang of outlaws as she is described as a trophy woman. However, considering this is a film by the Zellner brothers, the trek across the frontier is about as idiosyncratic as they come, complete with gruff men comparing the sizes of their Adam’s Apple’s (surprisingly, that’s not a euphemism for penis), prized proposal ponies along for the journey, and a highly expressive performance from the aforementioned Twilight star turned independent scene treasure that would be the best of his career had Good Time not been released last year.
Mia Wasikowska is granted the opportunity of carrying the second half; the buzzword “damsel” is a bit misleading, but for the remainder of the unpredictable events to unfold the term will linger in your mind as you associate it with others. Damsel in unabashedly bizarre, zigs and zags like a cartographer getting lost in the wilderness, and contains Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska pulling off a pair of challenging roles.
Damsel
Director: David Zellner & Nathan Zellner | Cast: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Forster | 113 mins
Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson), an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). As Samuel traverses the Wild West with a drunkard named Parson Henry (David Zellner) and a miniature horse called Butterscotch, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel. A loving reinvention of the western genre from the Zellner brothers (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter), Damsel showcases their trademark unpredictability, off-kilter sense of humor, and unique brand of humanism.
Screens: Sunday, May 6 at 7:15pm*
*Directors David and Nathan Zellner are scheduled to attend
Tickets can be purchased here.
