News of the World Movie Review - A Road Marked With Clichés

News of the World travels through a familiar road.

Never before had I considered news as a collection of riveting stories or as a form of entertainment. Today, news channels have turned into segments of daily soaps, which could either be depressing or amusing depending on your perspective. I have my share of laughter from it, yet I didn't see it as a medium, a go-to for enjoyment.

Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks), the protagonist of Paul Greengrass' News of the World, changed my perspective or illuminated a thought that until now was living in the corner of my subconscious: the long lines running on the newspapers could be revived and turned into an exhilarating recital. For achieving such rejuvenation, one needs to be a persuasive orator. Captain Kidd fits the bill. He galvanizes a crowd from a headline about the death of miners (by focusing on those who survived) and impresses another by narrating waggish news involving a graveyard and marriage. Kidd speaks in a mesmerizing tone, capturing the attention of every single soul in the throng. His main objective is to create a diversion. In his words, to "escape our troubles and hear of the great changes that are happening out there." It serves as an escapism that sometimes makes them chortle and other times comforts by providing them with the knowledge that they are not the only living beings suffering on Earth.

Kidd travels from town to town and reads the news "to anyone with ten cents and the time to hear it." In one of his travels, he encounters an upended wagon on his way. While investigating, he notices a soldier hanging from a tree. He hears footsteps and turns to find a little girl (Helena Zengel) running from him. He catches her dressed in Native American clothing. A Union Army patrol crosses their path and instructs Kidd to take the kid to Union officials at a town checkpoint. He reluctantly accepts the task. On reaching the checkpoint, he is informed that the concerned representative is on the reservation and won't be available for three months. "Wait for the agent or take her yourself. It's up to you," says the officer. Kidd tries to settle the girl at one of his friend's house, but she refuses to stay, attempting to run in the shade of night. Finally, Kidd decides to take her to her surviving family.

I forgot to introduce the girl. She is Johanna (though later we come to know that her real name is Cicada. That doesn't matter as Kidd sticks with Johanna). She does not speak or understand English. Her language is Kiowa, which Kidd does not speak or understand. It's 1870, so no smartphones - imagine going on a journey with someone who can't comprehend what you are saying. You can't surf the Internet to pass your time. What to do? Obviously, you have to try establishing some communication. Kidd tries to learn few Kiowa words, and Johanna does the same with English. Soon they start making sense to each other and protecting one another.

Taking help from cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, News of the World often lifts to a wide-angle shot to uncloak long stretches of vacant, scorching land to emphasize that two people are walking at the mercy of nature. In the city, we reposition to tracking shots, steering characters among cold-hearted brutes like those who ogle at Johanna. There is a gripping gun-fight sequence with this group that becomes a stepping stone towards Kidd's and Johanna's stalwart teamwork. The meditative bits where Kidd and Johanna try pronouncing "bird," "buffalo," and "prickly pear cactus" in their respective tongue is sweet and mellow.

However, I wish the stakes had been higher. Whenever Kidd and Johanna confront an obstacle, you know they are nothing but minor bumps-on-the-road. News of the World takes a soothing route, making it predictable till the end. I was never entirely on board with the duo's bond. Hanks and Zengel are top-notch in their roles, but their characters didn't clutch my arms. As a result, a goodbye scene didn't have the desired emotional effect on me. Another reason for this disconnection was that I exactly knew how it would eventually pan out to be. This is the type of film where the first and final scenes contrast each other. News of the World begins with Kidd delivering grim news under the shadows of lanterns at night and concludes with a hearty narration inside a room irradiated by the sunlight passing through the windows. News of the World will work for those looking for comfort. I wanted it to have more than a conventional episodic structure. "I hear them roads are bad Castroville way," warns a woman. I wish this "bad" meant unforeseeable dangers and not formulaic perils.

Find Me On:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/vikas_yadav98

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vimovies123/

Email - vikasy199@gmail.com