This stylish and grimly entertaining tale has several compelling scenes and original takes on the modern western even as it wears its influences rather obviously. The opening comes from the Coen brothers' A Serious Man, while a large portion of the plot echoes the Coens' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men (complete with implacable, eccentric killer). South African director Oliver Hermanus's Skoonheid supplies a key element to the main villain, and the visual influence of photographer Roger Ballen is all around.
There's nothing wrong, of course, with paying homage, but Free State ultimately fails to support the film's strong visual style with the philosophy and pitch-black humour that enriches the Coen's films. The performances are also a little uneven, though there is a compelling lead, once again, from Carel Nel.
The locations and exteriors, on the upside, offer an expansion to the visual character of contemporary South African film, moving away from the major cities and the conventions of the platteland desert places.
