Unfortunately, Place Of Bones is not without flaws. For starters, the second act features more of Bear John and his gang searching for Calhoun. Their bickering and conversations are stale and feel like every ruthless outlaw gang in every Western ever. These scenes don’t develop the characters much, as the villains of the piece, while effectively menacing, all have one or two traits to their name.
The other issue involves the writing for Hester and is not a reflection of Robillard’s performance. In one of the first shots of the film, Hester places a stone atop her father’s grave and then skips down the hill to begin her chores. That is not a typo—she skips down the hill. And then certain lines and her sometimes petulant attitude make the character sound as if she should be 11 or 12 years old. But Robillard, who in real life is probably 19 or 20, appears to be between 14 and 16. While only a few years apart, the difference lies in maturity. One is almost a teenager; the other is nearly an adult. The actor’s appearance suggests “almost adult,” as do specific actions later on. But for at least 30 minutes, Hester acts like a pre-teen. It’s almost as if she was written to be a certain age, then someone on the production suggested that maybe having a child do X, Y, and Z wasn’t the best idea, so Hester was aged up but not necessarily rewritten.
“…this is Graham’s film, through and through…”
However, the cast of Place Of Bones makes up for a lot of these issues. Robillard handles the action beats well while selling her natural curiosity about the town and guns. That gun scene, wherein Calhoun explains all manner of firearms to Hester, is built by both actors, who play off each other nicely. Nemec once again proves that he should be a much bigger star than he is. He’s oily yet still likable, which is an impressive balancing act to pull off. Hopper is creepy and believably deadly as the big bad. Their strong performances bring the characters to life and keep the audience engaged.
But this is Graham’s film, through and through, and she owns it. The actor has staked a claim in genre as of late between Suitable Flesh, Oracle, and now this. And she slides right into the blood, guts, and horror like she’s always belonged. Graham’s harsh way of getting Hester to speak English properly never feels like abuse. It comes across as strict but loving. Her yelling at Calhoun for putting them in danger is realistic. But it is Graham reciting the line that reveals the big twist that anchors her acting as something subtle, creepy, and magnetic.
Place of Bones is not without its flaws, such as a poorly paced middle and some questionable early writing for the character of Hester. But the plot is interesting, the third-act shootout is exciting, and the twist is so perfect it demands an instant rewatch. On top of that, the cast, led by a very game and very excellent Graham, delivers strong performances, creating engaging and deep characters.
"…the twist is so perfect it demands an instant rewatch."
