Reviews
The Tonto Woman (2008)
Quite Possibly the worst Oscar nominated film I have ever seen.
I got a chance to see all of the Oscar shorts this weekend and this was by far, not only the worst of the bunch, but also one of the worst Oscar nominated films I can ever remember seeing.
The characters were all mysteries. Beginning with the main character who is introduced through a confession in the opening sequence. We understand that this guy is an ultimate bad***. He thieves, he has "taken lives", and been with 300...no 200 women, (because of his job). Why is any of this necessary to know? The short answer is it's not.
Secondly, the Tonto Woman, who is fond of running around naked, purposefully objectifying herself for the chance to run into a true gentleman who will cover her with a blanket someday. The change that occurs within this character is entirely unmotivated and too quick. The first time we see her, she is abrasive and jaded to the world, and her accent and demeanor represent this outlook. It takes one present from out bad*** gunslinger, and suddenly she's got a heart of gold, as it turns out she was just misunderstood.
Essentially, everything happens to quickly in this film. The changes are all so radical that there is no way we can believe they would occur within the span of time that the film includes. Beyond that, the tone of the film changes from a sprawling Western, to a cutesy romantic comedy when the Tonto Woman's husband enters the mix. And why exactly was everything okay at the end of the film? Because he looked at her? Had he never looked at her before? I'm confused. And not because the film made me think but because it was flawed.
I will say that the cinematography was pretty rocking. And while I think the second nude scene was in poor taste (he might have covered her up, but only after he sat and watched her get undressed, poised like Burt Reynolds on a bear skin rug), the scene when she comes out of the water truly is beautiful. She's a very attractive woman and the scenery is gorgeous.
Indeed, the film is cinematic, but in the end it draws on way too many clichés,, and tries to force way too many plot points in the time allotted to be effective. I was incredibly underwhelmed.