Burdened with purpose and with desire Ethan Hawke makes “The Weight” worth seeing. A dash of charm and charisma Hawke nails it  with hints that he could explode at any time. A chance of early release from prison so to be united again with his daughter Hawke plays Sam Murphy not singularly-not a one note action man. He is battle tested from WW1, and has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. He’s driven but never to be bullied, but there’s something there in his portrayal, a humanity prone to making wrong moves-but each earned. Russell Crowe is the counterpart,  a corrupt warden that doesn’t quite get absorbed into character. A missed opportunity for great counterpart chemistry. If this was made in the sixties it would have starred Paul Newman as Sam Murphy and Strother Martin as the warden. The setting is the mid thirties depression era and all are desperate. The drab colors of blue, gray, and green are rich and saturated. The cinematography is excellent.  The costumes are fantastic, the title cards font is perfect, the plot is clear. It is all there for a great film, but it’s only a good solid film.  What is missing is the risk, the danger, the threat against Sam Murphy. Because the sojourn of getting the bootleg gold doesn’t seem all that hazardous. The film is also twenty minutes longer than it needed to be. The cuts and edits just don’t  punch it out to the level of fantastic. It lulls instead of letting the film breathe. 

“The Weight” has the potential to get Ethan Hawke another Oscar nomination. It helps with a solid cast around him. The character Sam Murphy has the right amount of layers, charm and flaws. All other aspects of the movie are just merely solid, and not great, just solid. 

The film is a great counter to the loud, boisterous action and horror that is readily available for the last lap of summer. It’s not necessarily quiet, but solemn. It’s a solid film, nothing more. It’s smart to have Ethan Hawke be the core and occupy the majority of the film. The crucial piece missing is a great film score to elevate the experience. One would think with the setting of the depression there’s a wide selection to choose. Instead the film decides to use modern rock. A folk selection would codify what the story is trying to tell. That is it is  a single drive, a  single purpose is not just one road, but can be long and charming. Maybe next time having a bridge scene in the film and on the poster- make it more meaningful then what was presented, have it the metaphor-maybe 8/10