Set five years after the Civil War, Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a grim veteran who now makes a living traveling from town to town, entertaining people by reading and summarizing newspaper articles illuminating stories from around the world.
Realizing that his audience lacks the time or ability, think of him as an early news collector, coming from a rich tradition of storytelling. Kidd presents it as a way to “escape from our troubles,” although carnal separation and mental injuries from the war – including his own – are not far below the surface.
In the clearest example, Kidd builds his trade at a camp where the business mogul who is in charge of the place asks him to lie to his audience to keep them more pliable. Think “fake news,” only without the digital megaphone.
If that feels a little uncomfortable like the US as it is 150 years later, that’s not an accident. Greengrass (of “United 93” and the Jason Bourne films, which previously directed Hanks in “Captain Phillips”) has a history of dragging social and political commentary into his films.
Kidd is unprepared, however, when he finds Johanna (Helena Zengel), an orphaned young child raised by the Kiowa and who only speaks their language. Attempts to find military support to find a home are futile, at which point he finds himself in Johanna ‘s shepherding back to her surviving relatives, unsure of how to find her.
Adapted from Paulette Jiles’ novel, their journey moves at a relentless pace, on a near lawless path in which they encounter kindness and hardship – although the latter is more plentiful, including those who would take advantage of the child for their own sake.
For fans of the genre, that old-fashioned feeling is a real delight. That said, the film doesn’t like the promotional campaign – especially for those linking Greengrass with kinetic action scenes – from blocking a series or two, to those who expect the kind of speed. adrenaline that the ads would suggest be let down.
Overall, “News of the World” is a compelling if not compelling film, presenting a familiar story against an intriguing historical backdrop. It doesn’t just deliver the much-needed escape from their struggles to a contemporary audience that Kidd promises to his people.
“News of the World” will appear on December 25 in select theaters. It is rated PG-13.