David and Nathan Zellner’s Western spoof takes a quirky, off-kilter approach (think Coen brothers in the sagebrush), but while Damsel offers a few chuckles, the leisurely, deadpan tone ultimately grows wearisome. Lovesick Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson), a dapper but slightly goofy dude, enlists a drunken parson (David Zellner) to officiate at his wedding to his beloved Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). But first they must rescue her from the clutches of the ruffian who kidnapped her. When they finally find Penelope, however, it turns out that Samuel has been deluding himself: she is far from the shrinking violet of his imagination. After a fraught reunion with her besotted suitor, Penelope and the parson find themselves journeying to civilization on their own, with their progress interrupted by a cultured Indian (the late Joseph Billingiere) who takes offense at their misconceptions. While Damsel’s pace is the very opposite of in-distress breakneck, it does offer some modest compensation in the odd little touches that Pattinson brings to his role, as well as some splendidly-shot location footage in Utah and Oregon, Billingiere’s understated turn, and a goofy prologue featuring veteran Robert Forster as a preacher who has grown depressed at his failure to convert Indians to Christianity. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Damsel
Lionsgate, 113 min., R, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, Sept. 18
Damsel
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