In the midst of the Great Depression, Samuel Murphy, played by the ever-reliable Ethan Hawke, is separated from his daughter and sent to a hard labor camp. His crime? Being poor. And maybe punching the wrong guys. At the camp, Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) notes Murphy’s quiet intelligence and problem-solving gumption; he might just be able to help the warden out of a bind in exchange for a commuted sentence. That’s the setup for Padraic McKinley’s gorgeously mounted, pulse-thrumming survival adventure The Weight, a film that drapes a muscular, objective-driven plot over lush period-piece trappings. It’s beautifully crafted, yes, but also accessible, energetic, and smarter than it initially lets on. Read More