The Claim

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Alain E Super slow; beyond my tolerance to watch over 20 minutes. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/10/25 Full Review David W The uniformally excellent acting by the uniformally miscast actors elevates what could have been a very pedestrian story. Jovovitch and Kinski both again prove that they are far more than just pretty faces. It's unusual and a slow burn to be sure but it did hold my attention. Not sure I'd particularly want to sit through it again though. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review jon c Wes Bentley, Sarah Polley, Milla Jovovich, Peter Mullen Mullen is a man Daniel Dillon. He sells his wife and daughter to get ahead in business becomes immensely rich and successful in 1849. Everyone is after the claim of the century: gold. Dillon is an Irish immigrant who settles in the high mountains of California. He has a vault filled with gold and a town of his own, named Kingdom Come. Dillon owns nearly every business of consequence in the town; if someone digs for gold, rents a hotel room, opens a bank account, or commits a crime, they will have to deal with him. Twenty years later, when Dillon is an accomplished gold miner, his past comes calling. Polley plays Dillon's daughter Hope. Bentley is Donald Dalglish, a surveyor with the Central Pacific Railroad, who wants to put a train either through Kingdom Come, or somewhere in the vicinity. Dillon is anxious to ensure that the railway line is routed through "his" town, as this will bring more business. Milla plays Lucia, a vocalist and the object of Dillon's affection who operates the brothel. A new era is taking shape. The movie lacks any real heart or emotion and there's a lot of characters to keep track of. But they do manage to establish the right mood in the wintry landscape of a small part of the nation. The performances are great from Mullen, Jovovich and Polley. The film is beautifully filmed against this cold backdrop. The music can be a bit distracting at times but Michael Winterbottom is a competent director with players being as cold and searing as their home setting. Facing the past is just as upsetting as facing the future. There has to be room for change and nothing can stay the same. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member there is actually no romance.. The Claim Winterbottom's poignant western venture is not only depressing but also is demotivating on terms of the gut wrenching darkness it consists. A sloppy adaptation of Hardy's novel The Mayor Of Casterbridge is still not the primary weakness of this feature. It is undeniably stable and the tone is persistent whose credit goes to the sincerity of the makers that they depict each sequence with and clearly they haven't taken the material for granted. But unfortunately, mannerism isn't everything, especially in here. There is actually no romance between the viewers and the movie and even though there are stunning rich visuals that lures the audience and demand attention from the first frame. There doesn't rely a genuine reason for you to keep rooting for this world, characters or tale. And the characters are well constructed, just like the storyline, but presumably all of that is Hardy and not Winterbottom. As far as Winterbottom's work is concerned, there is no fluidity and reasoning to tell such a dry tale. Bentley doesn't hold up to the character's range that he is allotted, he seems awfully distracted and aiming for the wrong viewers. Unfortunately, Jovovich too feels short handed on supporting him. The only savior of this on-screen-host is Mullan in his ethically challenged role that puts him in a bitter spot of regret and mourne. And he with his rage and reserved act expresses it beautifully on screen; also his track is much more compelling than others. Armed with such a potential script, Winterbottom misses an opportunity to create an emotionally driven complex western drama and instead ends up on a mellow note which actually should have been thrilling and exuberant for the viewers. The Claim is apt description of a good intention gone wrong, what it could have been is never explored and what it has to be doesn't have a concrete ground to stand on. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This one is long, slow, & boring. Not much more to say about the Claim. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member I love westerns but this was so slow paced it was hard to sit through. More style than plot. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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