Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

jdesando "The Old West is not a certain place in a certain time; it's a state of mind. It's whatever you want it to be. -" Tom MixI should have liked the Zellner brothers' Western comedy, Damsel, much better than I did. It has elements of Mel Brooks and the Coen brothers when they mine the satire of a genre very long in the tooth. The difference: writing. Brooks with his inspired goofiness (Blazing Saddles) and the Coens with their light-hearted larceny (Raising Arizona), have characters using language much smarter than they are, whereas The Zellners' lines are deadpan but dull even though they use elevated diction as the Coens so often do. Using contemporary lingo like "win win" and "real deal" doesn't titillate as it should. In addition, Zellners' language lacks strong affinity with bigger issues.Samuel (Robert Pattinson), a rich pioneer, engages a sham preacher, Henry (David Zellner), to officiate at Samuel's wedding to Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). In their journey with a miniature horse, gift to Penelope (not the waiting Penelope of the Odyssey), the two must deal with their naiveté and the vagaries of raw Western staples like rot-gut whiskey, duplicitous Indians, and bad campfire ballads (Samuel's ballad to Penelope, called My Honeybun, is a weak companion to Brooks' notorious campfire scene) While this set-up is rich fodder for satire, most of the jokes fall as flat as Penelope's affect and as dry as the joke about a fool in a barrel being strung up for no obvious reasons. Westerns are ripe for satire, but the flat line here comes not from the fine performances but the tepid minimalist script and uninspired cinematography. Wasikowska is marvelous as the independent and bitter love interest, Pattinson showing once again that he is much more than a teen heart-throb. The Zellners have the right motif about loneliness; they just need to beef up the languid language and droll action.

rockman182 Praise be for independent films. This probably isn't something that will be on many people's radars because its not exactly popular. I saw this a few weeks back and actually forgot to write a review so here goes. I haven't seen anything from David Zellner although I have wanted to watch Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter since forever. After watching Damsel I've got to say this is actually a really sharply funny and interesting take on a western.The film starts off being about a man who brings a present (a miniature horse) for his lover. He also hires a drunk pastor to officiate their wedding. When he does travel the land to visit her he realizes that things may not be so straight forward. Now we get a film that covers death, love, and random occurrences that happen on the characters' journey in the West. The film stars Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and David Zellner (the director of the film).Went in not really knowing what to expect, which is actually a great thing because you don't have any expectations. I found points of this film to be extremely entertaining. Its a funny western. The characters, their actions, and consequences are humorous. The film also pulls no punches as there are plenty of surprises in plot along the way. You can't really judge Pattinson on Twilight fame because he was fantastic in Good Time and shows that he has a knack to be a funny dope in Damsel. Mia Wasikowska is one of my favorite actresses today and I think she's absolutely excellent in everything and she is quality here as a foul mouthed, independent, gun wielding damsel in this film.I do like most western's but its not often I can see a uniquely entertaining and funny one. That is the case here and I love how the film wasn't afraid to take risks with its characters and the events in the film. Its fresh and pretty fantastic. I'm close to giving this film an 8/10, but I think I need to give it a re-watch before giving it that seal of approval. I really need to get on watching Kumiko now.7.5/10

cdcrb Quirky comes to mind. out of the ordinary. unusual. fun. this is not a film for young people, but for movie goers old enough to enjoy good film making. the plot doesn't matter, but it's a frontier woman dealing with circumstances as they present themselves. the directors have a hard time wrapping things up, but that's all right. and it's always a pleasure to see Robert forster. he never quite "made" it. who knows why!

LifeVsArt This is not your grandfather's western. For those who have seen the Zellner's "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter" you will recognize their unique sensibility but find even that won't prepare you for the monumental turnaround taken in this strange, absurdist, feminist comedy/drama. Avoid spoilers at all cost, just go in with whatever expectation you may have and allow the Zellners to take you on a wild ride that, along the way, has a lot of slapstick but also some very substantial ideas on the relationship between the sexes - reality vs illusion, etc. The acting is topnotch. Robert Pattinson acquits himself wonderfully in this farcical frontier - he has a real comedic sense that is tapped in his loony over-the-top Romantic character. Mia Wasikowska is a total powerhouse as Penelope, expressing so much with her face and body - she takes the movie by the throat and rides it off into the surreal sunset. Wasikowska is the beating heart of a movie that has both zany episodes and surprising pathos. The more distance I get from "Damsel" the more I think about it and the more I realize there is a definite method to the Zellner's madness. This is a bold film that takes great risks - we need more movies like this that don't settle for playing it safe.