After memorably portraying the villainous Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films, Willem Dafoe goes to the other end of the spectrum for the stripped-back, slow-burning atmospherics of The Hunter.
He plays Martin, a mercenary sent by a biotech company to track down what is believed to be the last Tasmanian tiger (also called the Tasmanian wolf or thylacine), a striped marsupial predator declared extinct in 1982.
In the remote wilderness, staying with the family of a man who had gone missing the year before, Martin struggles with basic living conditions and suspicious locals who are less than welcoming to strangers.
Based on the novel by Julia Leigh and directed by Daniel Nettheim, the film presents the raw beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness. And it's raw and visceral in every sense, with unsparing scenes of hunting, killing and death as well as landscapes and wildlife.
There are excellent performances all round,...
He plays Martin, a mercenary sent by a biotech company to track down what is believed to be the last Tasmanian tiger (also called the Tasmanian wolf or thylacine), a striped marsupial predator declared extinct in 1982.
In the remote wilderness, staying with the family of a man who had gone missing the year before, Martin struggles with basic living conditions and suspicious locals who are less than welcoming to strangers.
Based on the novel by Julia Leigh and directed by Daniel Nettheim, the film presents the raw beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness. And it's raw and visceral in every sense, with unsparing scenes of hunting, killing and death as well as landscapes and wildlife.
There are excellent performances all round,...
- 11/1/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Sometimes great actors and promising material don’t always add up to cinematic excellence, and unfortunately this is the case for the Willem Dafoe vehicle, The Hunter, director Daniel Nettheim’s first feature in over a decade. Based on the novel by Julia Leigh, writer/director of the chilling Sleeping Beauty, Nettheim’s film favors a naturalistic Survivorman aesthetic and empathetic sensibility over Leigh’s subjective sterility, but while embracing a coarse lined with heartstrings, his big reveal lacks the pull necessary to make the film a real success.
The 2011 Tiff/2012 Rotterdam selected film features Dafoe as Martin, a hired mercenary posing as an embedded university biologist while actually a hired gun instructed to hunt down the fabled Tasmanian tiger, a species thought extinct, but also coveted by a biotech company named Red Leaf for their mysterious genetic properties. With help from a semi-sketchy local (Sam Neill), he takes up...
The 2011 Tiff/2012 Rotterdam selected film features Dafoe as Martin, a hired mercenary posing as an embedded university biologist while actually a hired gun instructed to hunt down the fabled Tasmanian tiger, a species thought extinct, but also coveted by a biotech company named Red Leaf for their mysterious genetic properties. With help from a semi-sketchy local (Sam Neill), he takes up...
- 7/10/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
By Allen Gardner
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...
- 7/9/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Willem Dafoe is as reliable and dependable as actors come, taking on ambitious projects that often hew away from the commercial, most notably the controversial horror Antichrist. Teaming with veteran TV director Daniel Nettheim, Dafoe unveils yet another facet of his skill set as a quiet, sensitive soul for Aussie indie thriller The Hunter.
Dafoe plays Martin David, an American mercenary who is hired by a military biotech company to hunt down the presumed-extinct yet recently-sighted Tasmanian Tiger and collect tissue samples from it. He has a few months to discover it before competition arrives if, in fact, they are not already there. While on his excursion, David lives with a local family, Lucy (Frances O’Connor) and her children, Sass (Morgana Davies) and Bike (Finn Woodlock). Slowly, he begins to bond with them, and upon learning that the children’s father, Jarrah (Marc Watson-Paul), disappeared...
Willem Dafoe is as reliable and dependable as actors come, taking on ambitious projects that often hew away from the commercial, most notably the controversial horror Antichrist. Teaming with veteran TV director Daniel Nettheim, Dafoe unveils yet another facet of his skill set as a quiet, sensitive soul for Aussie indie thriller The Hunter.
Dafoe plays Martin David, an American mercenary who is hired by a military biotech company to hunt down the presumed-extinct yet recently-sighted Tasmanian Tiger and collect tissue samples from it. He has a few months to discover it before competition arrives if, in fact, they are not already there. While on his excursion, David lives with a local family, Lucy (Frances O’Connor) and her children, Sass (Morgana Davies) and Bike (Finn Woodlock). Slowly, he begins to bond with them, and upon learning that the children’s father, Jarrah (Marc Watson-Paul), disappeared...
- 7/6/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Martin David (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary hired to fly to Tasmania and hunt down the mythical Tasmanian tiger – possibly the last of its kind. Once on location in a remote wilderness, Martin comes to meet the troubled Lucy Armstrong (Frances O’Connor) and her two children. Using the Armstrong household as a base of operations, Martin sets off on regular trips to find the target he has been hired to harvest. However, it soon becomes clear that what awaits Martin in the wilds of Tasmania is the last thing he ever expected – life.
‘The Hunter’ is one of those rare films which gain a strong enough reception to warrant international distribution, yet remain obscure enough to escape most people’s attention. Doing the rounds since autumn last year, Daniel Nettheim’s slow yet haunting adaptation of Julia Leigh’s novel has appeared at various festivals and events.
Martin David (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary hired to fly to Tasmania and hunt down the mythical Tasmanian tiger – possibly the last of its kind. Once on location in a remote wilderness, Martin comes to meet the troubled Lucy Armstrong (Frances O’Connor) and her two children. Using the Armstrong household as a base of operations, Martin sets off on regular trips to find the target he has been hired to harvest. However, it soon becomes clear that what awaits Martin in the wilds of Tasmania is the last thing he ever expected – life.
‘The Hunter’ is one of those rare films which gain a strong enough reception to warrant international distribution, yet remain obscure enough to escape most people’s attention. Doing the rounds since autumn last year, Daniel Nettheim’s slow yet haunting adaptation of Julia Leigh’s novel has appeared at various festivals and events.
- 6/30/2012
- by Brad Williams
- Obsessed with Film
In "The Hunter," Martin (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary with an unusual assignment: to track and kill the Tasmanian tiger, an animal thought to be extinct since the '30s.
Locals have reported seeing the Tazzy tiger or its remains on the lush island of Tasmania for years, and these reports have sparked the interest of a biotech company eager for the animal's DNA. Once Martin arrives in Tasmania, a gorgeous island just off the coast of Australia, he discovers his mission complicated by both the tension between loggers and environmentalists and the dynamic of the curious young family he's staying with.
Martin's trek across the wilds of Tasmania takes him through small towns and the many wild environments of the island: trickling creeks in the woods, soggy rainforests and even a snowy mountaintop. The hostile locals and enthusiastic protesters offer an interesting political subtext; the "Greenies" think Martin is one of them,...
Locals have reported seeing the Tazzy tiger or its remains on the lush island of Tasmania for years, and these reports have sparked the interest of a biotech company eager for the animal's DNA. Once Martin arrives in Tasmania, a gorgeous island just off the coast of Australia, he discovers his mission complicated by both the tension between loggers and environmentalists and the dynamic of the curious young family he's staying with.
Martin's trek across the wilds of Tasmania takes him through small towns and the many wild environments of the island: trickling creeks in the woods, soggy rainforests and even a snowy mountaintop. The hostile locals and enthusiastic protesters offer an interesting political subtext; the "Greenies" think Martin is one of them,...
- 4/6/2012
- by Jenni Miller
- NextMovie
Title: The Hunter Director: Daniel Nettheim Starring: Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil, Morgana Davies, Finn Woodlock, Frances O’Connor The Hunter, on paper, is just a story about a man who is hired to do a job. Willem Dafoe is that man, and he is contracted to go into the Australian wilderness to find, and essentially kill, the legendary Tasmanian tiger. Catch is the majority of people believe the creature to be extinct. Dafoe descends on the extremely small town, whose people aren’t too enthused having specialized hunters looking for their local wildlife legend, and takes up shelter in a shanty owned by a mother (Frances O’Connor) and her two young candid [ Read More ]...
- 4/5/2012
- by Joe Belcastro
- ShockYa
The Australian takeover in cineplexes worldwide continues. With more and more work finding distribution to travel off the island, one woman is writing her chapter in the movement. A novelist of two acclaimed works, Julia Leigh has already found her way into Cannes with an original film of sexual desire—Sleeping Beauty. And while the buzz is high, another film sporting her name in the credits deserves just as much notice. Directed by Daniel Nettheim from a screenplay by Alice Addison, Leigh’s source material for The Hunter comes to life through the quietly terrifying Tazmanian expanse. A story full of intrigue, its seemingly minimal plot finds a way to expand its scope tenfold as unsolved mysteries come into focus for antihero Martin David (Willem Dafoe)—the forest sucking him into a dark world controlled by dangerous people.
David is a loner. It’s an ideal trait for his line of work,...
David is a loner. It’s an ideal trait for his line of work,...
- 4/5/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
In their 2006 book "Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger," authors Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson, then researchers at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, talked about becoming obsessed with a stuffed Tasmanian Tiger that they would walk by every day in the museum. It became "something akin to amorous fervor," and eventually they decided to take a trip to Tasmania to see if the tiger, which officially became extinct in 1936, when the lone survivor died at the Hobart Zoo, still existed somewhere in the wild. It's a mysterious kind of animal – lithe, beautiful, angular – that inspires this kind of devotion, even decades after its extinction. And it's a nearly mythical kind of eeriness that seeps into "The Hunter," Daniel Nettheim's dark and deeply haunting film based on the novel by Julia Leigh, about a man (Willem Dafoe) obsessed with finding the tiger, no matter the cost.
- 4/3/2012
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
The Film Critics Circle of Australia has announced its nominees for its Annual Awards for Australian Film for 2011.
Burning Man scored the most nominations, with a spot in 10 of 11 categories.
The film is director Jonathan Teplitzky’s third film and tells the story of an out-of-control chef who is struggling with a life crisis.
With the second most nominations was dark thriller Snowtown in eight categories.
The Hunter starring The Willem Dafoe and directed by Daniel Nettheim and The Eye of the Storm starring Geoffrey Rush and directed by Fred Schepsis both received seven nods.
Red Dog, the year’s highest grossing Australian film for 2011, received only three nominations, including best direction for Kriv Stenders while Oranges and Sunshine, directed by Jim Loach received four.
Ivan Sen’s Toomelah and Julia Leigh’s debut Sleeping Beauty both received one nomination for actors Daniel Connors and Emily Browning respectively.
Animal Kingdom...
Burning Man scored the most nominations, with a spot in 10 of 11 categories.
The film is director Jonathan Teplitzky’s third film and tells the story of an out-of-control chef who is struggling with a life crisis.
With the second most nominations was dark thriller Snowtown in eight categories.
The Hunter starring The Willem Dafoe and directed by Daniel Nettheim and The Eye of the Storm starring Geoffrey Rush and directed by Fred Schepsis both received seven nods.
Red Dog, the year’s highest grossing Australian film for 2011, received only three nominations, including best direction for Kriv Stenders while Oranges and Sunshine, directed by Jim Loach received four.
Ivan Sen’s Toomelah and Julia Leigh’s debut Sleeping Beauty both received one nomination for actors Daniel Connors and Emily Browning respectively.
Animal Kingdom...
- 4/3/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
In their 2006 book "Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger," authors Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson, then researchers at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, talked about becoming obsessed with a stuffed Tasmanian Tiger that they would walk by every day in the museum. It became "something akin to amorous fervor," and eventually they decided to take a trip to Tasmania to see if the tiger, which officially became extinct in 1936 when the lone survivor died at the Hobart Zoo, still existed, somewhere in the wild. It's the kind of mysterious animal – lithe, beautiful, angular – that inspires this kind of devotion, even decades after its extinction. And it's this kind of nearly mythic eeriness that seeps into "The Hunter," Daniel Nettheim's dark and deeply haunting film based on the novel by Julia Leigh, about a man (Willem Dafoe) obsessed with finding the tiger, no matter the cost.
- 3/11/2012
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
We have added the new trailer for Magnolia Pictures upcoming Willem Dafoe starring thriller, "The Hunter."Directed by Daniel Nettheim the film also stars Sam Neill, Frances O'Connor, Jacek Koman, Morgana Davies, Dan Wyllie, Finn Woodlock, Sullivan Stapleton, John Brumpton and Callan Mulvey.Watch the trailer for "The Hunter" below;"The Hunter" is on limited release in North America from April 6th."The Hunter" is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a...
- 1/30/2012
- by Anthony Pearson
- Monsters and Critics
Third poster for Daniel Nettheim's The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O'Connor and Sam Neill The winner of two Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, made its debut at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Also in the cast are Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies, Finn Woodlock, Jacek Koman, Callan Mulvey, John Brumpton, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, Jamie Timony, Dan Spielman, Maia Thomas, Marc Watson and Mark Hennesy. The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger’s genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing...
- 1/27/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Third poster for Daniel Nettheim's The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O'Connor and Sam Neill The winner of two Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, made its debut at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Also in the cast are Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies, Finn Woodlock, Jacek Koman, Callan Mulvey, John Brumpton, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, Jamie Timony, Dan Spielman, Maia Thomas, Marc Watson and Mark Hennesy. The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger’s genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing...
- 1/27/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Third poster for Daniel Nettheim's The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O'Connor and Sam Neill The winner of two Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, made its debut at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. Also in the cast are Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies, Finn Woodlock, Jacek Koman, Callan Mulvey, John Brumpton, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, Jamie Timony, Dan Spielman, Maia Thomas, Marc Watson and Mark Hennesy. The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger’s genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing...
- 1/27/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Magnolia Pictures has released the official domestic trailer for The Hunter , starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Frances O'Connor, Morgana Davies, Jacek Koman, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, John Brumpton, Callan Mulvey and Finn Woodlock. Opening in theaters on April 6, The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led...
- 1/27/2012
- Comingsoon.net
Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor have all signed on for the Australian psychological thriller "The Hunter" for Porchlight Films says The Hollywood Reporter.
Adapted from Julia Leigh's 1999 novel, the story follows a European mercenary known only as 'M' who has been hired by an anonymous biotech company. 'M' is traversing the Tasmanian wilderness on a dramatic hunt for the last Thylacine, better known as the thought to be extinct Tasmanian Tiger.
Morgana Davies, Jacek Koman, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, John Brumpton, Callan Mulvey and Finn Woodlock also star. Daniel Nettheim ("Angst," "Rush," "Spirited") directs.
Vincent Sheehan will produce and shooting kicked off this week on location in Tasmania.
Adapted from Julia Leigh's 1999 novel, the story follows a European mercenary known only as 'M' who has been hired by an anonymous biotech company. 'M' is traversing the Tasmanian wilderness on a dramatic hunt for the last Thylacine, better known as the thought to be extinct Tasmanian Tiger.
Morgana Davies, Jacek Koman, Dan Wyllie, Sullivan Stapleton, John Brumpton, Callan Mulvey and Finn Woodlock also star. Daniel Nettheim ("Angst," "Rush," "Spirited") directs.
Vincent Sheehan will produce and shooting kicked off this week on location in Tasmania.
- 10/28/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
‘Daybreakers’ co-stars Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill have reportedly reunited and have started shooting the film adaptation of Julia Leigh’s novel The Hunter. Daniel Nettheim is set to direct the movie, which also stars John Brumpton, Morgana Davies, Callan Mulvey, Jacek Koman, Sullivan Stapleton and newcomer Finn Woodlock. This will be the first film for the Australian director in 10 years, since he released ‘Angst’ in 2000. Since then, he has worked on numerous television series, including ‘Spirited,’ ‘Rush’ and ‘Snake Tales.’ The Hunter, which is selling well in Australia, tells the tale of the deadly search of the last Tasmanian tiger. While many people believe the animal is extinct, perhaps even [...]...
- 10/28/2010
- by karen
- ShockYa
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