Movie reviews

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 1

Watchable. Set during a pivotal era of American history - the settlers' time, this 3-hour movie maintains unhurried yet steady pace. Although it's a serial, it merits the big screen hence the decision of a cinematic release seems justified. It's so superbly acted and shot that you just sit and watch without batting an eyelid, waiting for the plot to reveal itself. The fact is it kept growing on me. Sam Worthington appears in a surprisingly ordinary role, amidst actors more associated with the western genre, like Luke Wilson or producer/writer/director/actor Kevin Costner himself. While fictitious, the film is based on facts of the period: Apache is spoken and in the background the story sees Chinese settlers or blacks equal to whites - we're rarely aware free people of all races came to inhabit the fledgling country. On the other hand, natives are sometimes perceived similarly to exotic animals: "We've never seen them from up close. He's magnificent." The pace and the prolonged introductions of each subplot confirm it's a saga. The story strands start to intersect at some point. The finale fast forwards to upcoming developments laying the groundwork for later instalments. "Amazing Grace" is sung and played on native American instruments along the end-credits. A movie with potential.