Movie Review: 'News of the World' is a Terrific Western Throwback

News of the World holds a particular charm for me. In my life, I have worked as a radio news reporter and the notion of how news traveled back in the pre-20th century south holds an awesome fascination for me. News of the World indicates that there was once a man who rode from town to town charging folks a dime to sit and listen to him read the newspaper and inform them about what is happening in the world outside their backyard.

That’s charming and unique but that’s not what News of the World is really about. News of the World is about the family you choose rather than the family you are born with. It’s about how people bond over tragedy and how deeply a shared trauma can bond two remarkably unrelated people. And, News of the World is about being a western and what makes Western themes and tropes so long lasting and appealing.

Tom Hanks stars in News of the World as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a former confederate soldier who now subsists on traveling across Texas reading newspapers to poor people for dimes. It’s actually a solid racket. As a former printing press operator, before the Civil War erupted, Kidd has access to newspaper distribution from around the country. He’s also a charismatic storyteller who people remember. When Captain Kidd returns to town, people flock to his readings.

After a successful reading in one of his regular towns, Captain Kidd finds himself on a backroad, off the beaten path. Here, he comes across what remains of lynching. A black man has been beaten and hung and his cart overturned and stripped. The ransacking did not uncover the reason this man was traveling on this road. As Captain Kidd determines that a passenger was present on this ride.

Hiding in the woods nearby is a young girl named Johannna (Helena Zengal). She was in the care of the murdered man who was tasked with taking her to a town where she was to be delivered to her last remaining relatives. Evidence indicates that the girl’s parents were murdered by the Kiowa Indian Tribe and that she’d been taken and was being raised by members of the tribe. It eventually falls to Kidd to help the girl make the journey.

Yes, you can hear the echoes of John Ford, Howard Hawks and John Wayne in News of the World. But, while News of the World is rooted in Western lore, Tom Hanks and director Paul Greengrass do well to give the movie its own feel. Hanks especially brings his classically Hanks-ian energy to the movie, that innate goodness he's known for permeates his performance and watching that goodness take on a dimension of a trained soldier and steady hand with a weapon is powerful. (Yes, the Jimmy Stewart in Liberty Valance comparison comes to mind, but isn't that rather obvious?

As for director Paul Greengrass his usually flashy direction is surprisingly and effectively muted in News of the World. Greengrass is known for his dynamic camerawork and daringly quick cuts and that signature is present but it’s met with a mature willingness to let things get quiet when they need to. Greengrass knows to allow room for Hanks to hold court opposite Zengal who delivers a remarkable performance as Johanna, a German born child raised by Indians and speaking native dialogue throughout.

The organic chemistry of Hanks and Zengal is the heart of News of the World. Hanks’ public persona as America’s dad works well here while Greengrass’s well staged action scenes bring an edge of Papa Bear energy to Hanks’ usually cuddly nature. An action set piece at the center of the film has Hanks fighting off a group of angry former confederates looking to kidnap Johanna and it is one of the better Western action scenes I’ve seen since 3:10 to Yuma. The scene brings the edge I was just talking about to Hanks and News of the World.

Hanks isn’t a ruthless character, that’s not a strong suit for him. Hanks is effective as a good man pressed into a dangerous situation and meeting it with bravery and smarts. He’s a dad who would do anything to protect an innocent child and that’s a dynamic that really fits with this character. Hanks may never be a classic action star but as a good man in a rough situation, his integrity and earnest bravery sell him as someone capable of necessary violence.

News of the World arrives in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.