If you want a grizzled old cowboy nowadays, you do not go for Clint Eastwood; you go for Tommy Lee Jones. The actor has made a career out of trading on his laconic Texas accent and craggy features, not to mention his stellar acting ability, turning roles in No Country For Old Men and Lonesome Dove into quietly brilliant performances. Now he’s at it again, this time directing himself alongside Hilary Swank in the western drama The Homesman, which will be premiering at Cannes.
The Homesman features Jones as a miner who was left for dead but saved by a pioneer woman (Swank). In exchange, he has to help her take three mentally-ill women from Nebraska to Iowa, braving the wild landscape, the weather, and some nasty people along the way. It’s an interesting idea, made more interesting by a cast that also includes Tim Blake Nelson, Meryl Streep, Hailee Steinfeld, James Spader, and John Lithgow.
While we’ve already had a trailer or two for the film, the latest clip features more of the humor we might expect from Jones, whose movies are never without a slightly sardonic edge. The cantankerous miner and the tough pioneer lady square off, as she reveals to him just what she wants him to do in exchange for saving his life. What we have here are two very good actors staring each other down and slinging a few insults for good measure. If this is any indication of what we can expect from The Homesman, then sign me up for the ride.
The Homesman will have its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this month. There’s no U.S. release date as yet, but that will be sure to follow.