Entertainment
‘Hostiles’: A sensitive yet bland redemption tale (IANS Review, Rating: ***1/2)
By Troy Ribeiro
Film: “Hostiles”; Director: Scott Cooper; Cast: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Peter Mullan, Scott Wilson, Paul Anderson, Timothee Chalamet, Ben Foster, Jonathan Majors, John Benjamin Hickey, Qorianka Kilcher, Tanaya Beatty, Bill Camp, Scott Shepherd and Ryan Bingham; Rating: ***1/2
Mounted like a ponderous western film, director Scott Cooper’s “Hostiles” is a slow-paced, melancholic, redemption tale that offers us a brutal slice of American history.
Based on a story by Donald E. Stewart, set in 1892, it is a hero’s journey. A reluctant Captain Joseph Blocker, a US Cavalry officer is tasked to escort an ailing Cheyenne Chieftain and his family back to their home so that the chief may pass away “peacefully” on his native soil.
With deep-seated hatred stemming from decades of violence and a recent encounter with the chief, the captain considers him to be a rival. Hence, the chief and his family are treated like prisoners.
While making the harrowing and perilous journey from Fort Berringer, an isolated army outpost in New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, the group comes across a young widow (Rosamund Pike), a sole survivor of a brutal attack where her entire family was wiped out. With no choice but to take her along, she joins the group on their ill-fated expedition which is attacked by Apaches, fur traders, criminals and landowners.
While the film accurately portrays the period and the dynamics that existed during that time, the film lacks a soul.
The tale is sterile or synthetic, despite appearing to be reverent and introspective. It speaks about a man’s place in the world, his connection with nature and the land he lives in and especially about the original natives by intruders.
There are too many moments where characters reach out to remind us of the premise. Also, the gruesome action, the atrocities and survival instincts, though predictable are subtle, crisp and matter-of-fact, thus making the emotional moments in the narrative too perfunctory.
Similarly, the performances too, though sensitively portrayed by the ace cast lacks the chutzpah and the fault lies in the script as the plot trudges on a sluggish, one-dimensional path.
Nevertheless, Christain Bale excels in internalising his emotions. He delivers a sympathetic performance, almost far too insular as a man speaking with his looks. You can feel the weight of his soul over the course of his journey.
Rosamund Pike is remarkable as the catatonic widow who naturally becomes hysterical at the sight of more Indians. Wes Studi as Chief Yellow Hawk is wasted and so is Adam Beach as his son Black Hawk.
On the technical front, the film more than makes up with the atmosphere. Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi’s camera work is marvellous. With his wide-angled lenses he astutely captures the landscape which include the sets made by production designer Donald Graham Burt. And the viewing experience is accentuated by Composer Max Richter’s rich music.
Overall, Hostiles albeit being bland and unexciting is a well-executed, straightforward film, lost in its own expansive landscape.
–IANS
troy/rb/ksk
International online casino Casino Days has published a report sharing their internal data on what types and brands of devices are used to play on the platform by users from the South Asian region.
Such aggregate data analyses allow the operator to optimise their website for the brands and models of devices people are actually using.
The insights gained through the research also help Casino Days tailor their services based on the better understanding of their clients and their needs.
Desktops and Tablets Lose the Battle vs Mobile
The primary data samples analysed by Casino Days reveal that mobile connections dominate the market in South Asia and are responsible for a whopping 96.6% of gaming sessions, while computers and tablets have negligible shares of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively.
The authors of the study point out that historically, playing online casino was exclusively done on computers, and attribute thе major shift to mobile that has unfolded over time to the wide spread of cheaper smartphones and mobile data plans in South Asia.
“Some of the reasons behind this massive difference in device type are affordability, technical advantages, as well as cheaper and more obtainable internet plans for mobiles than those for computers,” the researchers comment.
Xiaomi and Vivo Outperform Samsung, Apple Way Down in Rankings
Chinese brands Xiaomi and Vivo were used by 21.9% and 20.79% of Casino Days players from South Asia respectively, and together with the positioned in third place with a 18.1% share South Korean brand Samsung dominate the market among real money gamers in the region.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is way down in seventh with a user share of just 2.29%, overshadowed by Chinese brands Realme (11.43%), OPPO (11.23%), and OnePlus (4.07%).
Huawei is at the very bottom of the chart with a tiny share just below the single percent mark, trailing behind mobile devices by Motorola, Google, and Infinix.
The data on actual phone usage provided by Casino Days, even though limited to the gaming parts of the population of South Asia, paints a different picture from global statistics on smartphone shipments by vendors.
Apple and Samsung have been sharing the worldwide lead for over a decade, while current regional leader Xiaomi secured their third position globally just a couple of years ago.
Striking Android Dominance among South Asian Real Money Gaming Communities
The shifted market share patterns of the world’s top smartphone brands in South Asia observed by the Casino Days research paper reveal a striking dominance of Android devices at the expense of iOS-powered phones.
On the global level, Android enjoys a comfortable lead with a sizable 68.79% share which grows to nearly 79% when we look at the whole continent of Asia. The data on South Asian real money gaming communities suggests that Android’s dominance grows even higher and is north of the 90% mark.
Among the major factors behind these figures, the authors of the study point to the relative affordability of and greater availability of Android devices in the region, especially when manufactured locally in countries like India and Vietnam.
“And, with influencers and tech reviews putting emphasis on Android devices, the choice of mobile phone brand and OS becomes easy; Android has a much wider range of products and caters to the Asian online casino market in ways that Apple can’t due to technical limitations,” the researchers add.
The far better integration achieved by Google Pay compared to its counterpart Apple Pay has also played a crucial role in shaping the existing smartphone market trends.
Content provided by Adverloom
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
