TIFF 2010: The Hunter

The promotional materials for The Hunter emphasize the events that occur in the latter half of the film. Without going into spoilers, I can say that this is a reasonable decision from the marketers because the second half does sound pretty exciting. However, I think to focus on the thriller-esque plot points is slightly misleading and sets up some undue expectations. After reading the official synopsis, and especially after the hard guitar rock accompaniment of the opening credit sequence, I was ready for an energetic crime film, and that’s not what The Hunter delivers.

I know it’s unfair to judge a movie by its promotional materials, and I don’t intend to do so. In fact, after I had settled into the slower-than-expected pacing, I found a lot to like about the film. The cinematography stands out the most; there were many well-composed shots that you could take a still frame and hang on a wall. The camera effectively captures both the grays of the urban environment of Tehran and the greens of the forest that is the setting for the latter parts of the film.

The director and writer, Rafi Pitts, also stars in the lead role. His performance, on the surface, is very stoic; you might even say stone-faced or boring. But I think he does a good job of conveying a quiet rage and sadness beneath the surface, especially in the scene where he is first notified of his wife’s death. He plays it as if he’s almost about to break down in an emotional outburst, and sustains it throughout the lengthy scene.

The main flaw I found with The Hunter was with the plotting in the second half. For long stretches, we lose sight of the main character and the story shifts to the police officers who are pursuing him. Many political themes are brought up at this point, but I didn’t think the moralizing fit in with the mood of the first half so I found it more distracting than thought-provoking. In the end, style won over substance, but in a good way.

3 out of 5