Charlie isn't the only one with something to think about, though: If anything, Captain Stanley is in an even more uncomfortable position, having to balance Charlie's interests against the wishes of his wife (Emily Watson) and his bloodthirsty fellow townspeople.
The Proposition – a filthy, uncomfortable and unflinching look at frontier Australia if ever there was one – delivers one tense call after another. Balling together a great cast, buckets of grit and a phenomenal script (written by renowned balladeer Nick Cave) into a film that wastes not a single one of its 114 minutes.
Why a major studio never picked this up for wider release may be the biggest head-scratcher of all, but bravo to First Look for snapping it up and treating it right.
Extras: Writer/director commentary, five behind-the-scenes features, photo gallery.
Grade: A