Appaloosa (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch (Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen) are 2 old pals living in the Old West in 'Appaloosa', directed by Ed Harris, himself. When they arrive in Appaloosa, they find a place suffering at the hands of a mischievous rancher named Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons). Bragg has already disposed of the previous town's Marshall, so Cole & Hitch mean to bring Bragg and his minions to justice. But just when they think they have control of the situation, an attractive widow named Allison French (Renee Zellweger) steps of the choo-choo ... complicating matters further. Boy, oh boy. This is a tough movie to critique. I certainly liked a lot in 'Appaloosa'. But striving for realism, the film fails to 'entertain' as Hollywood Westerns of Old used to. It's a very quiet movie ... too quiet.
Because Bragg (and company) drinks most of the town's whiskey, take other people's livestock, & kills innocent men at whim, the townsfolk Of Appaloosa are fairly ready to accept Virgil as their new Marshall (including his new batch of laws). As always, he is accompanied by his closest companion, Everett. During the course of the film there are stand-offs, nervous moments in Bragg's presence, and cat-&-mouse games had by all. One of those cat-&-mouse games include Virgil & Everett capturing Bragg as he exits his own outhouse (funny, yet weird, and anti-climactic). Meanwhile, Allie, declaring herself NOT to be a whore, has taken keen interest in Appaloosa, Virgil, and ... Everett. What with an intriguing romantic triangle, some visceral gun shoot-outs, & good performances from Harris, Mortensen (especially), Irons, & Zellweger (yes, her too), you would think this should be a great film. Alas, in my opinion, it is not.
But as previously mentioned, not all is bad. I really enjoyed the camaraderie btwn. Harris/Mortensen (Virgil/Everett); however you choose to look at it. They are each other's mentors (in different ways). And I appreciate their fortitude in not breaking the law, even for a common good. As far as production values go, Appaloosa's are great. From the windblown landscapes, to the quaint town, to the costumes, & tumbleweeds ... I really felt like I was in 1882 New Mexico. One last thing I liked was its extremely subtle use of humor throughout proceedings (something necessary to the sometimes somber tone of Westerns).
But this film really suffers for its lack of focus; it needed some tightening up. Scenes come & go. At 1:45 minutes in length, a good 15 of those could have been stripped away. There simply isn't enough of an engaging plot to keep us from getting a tad restless. The pace of 'Appaloosa' is slow. Harris pays great attention to low-key character development; but it's at the expense of the story. While I appreciate how authentic 'Appaloosa' truly is, it lacks the necessary dramatic intensity, comic relief, & over-the-top musical score that tends to make Westerns thrive. 'Appaloosa' isn't awful; not at all. But it's too mannered to bestow much praise.
Because Bragg (and company) drinks most of the town's whiskey, take other people's livestock, & kills innocent men at whim, the townsfolk Of Appaloosa are fairly ready to accept Virgil as their new Marshall (including his new batch of laws). As always, he is accompanied by his closest companion, Everett. During the course of the film there are stand-offs, nervous moments in Bragg's presence, and cat-&-mouse games had by all. One of those cat-&-mouse games include Virgil & Everett capturing Bragg as he exits his own outhouse (funny, yet weird, and anti-climactic). Meanwhile, Allie, declaring herself NOT to be a whore, has taken keen interest in Appaloosa, Virgil, and ... Everett. What with an intriguing romantic triangle, some visceral gun shoot-outs, & good performances from Harris, Mortensen (especially), Irons, & Zellweger (yes, her too), you would think this should be a great film. Alas, in my opinion, it is not.
But as previously mentioned, not all is bad. I really enjoyed the camaraderie btwn. Harris/Mortensen (Virgil/Everett); however you choose to look at it. They are each other's mentors (in different ways). And I appreciate their fortitude in not breaking the law, even for a common good. As far as production values go, Appaloosa's are great. From the windblown landscapes, to the quaint town, to the costumes, & tumbleweeds ... I really felt like I was in 1882 New Mexico. One last thing I liked was its extremely subtle use of humor throughout proceedings (something necessary to the sometimes somber tone of Westerns).
But this film really suffers for its lack of focus; it needed some tightening up. Scenes come & go. At 1:45 minutes in length, a good 15 of those could have been stripped away. There simply isn't enough of an engaging plot to keep us from getting a tad restless. The pace of 'Appaloosa' is slow. Harris pays great attention to low-key character development; but it's at the expense of the story. While I appreciate how authentic 'Appaloosa' truly is, it lacks the necessary dramatic intensity, comic relief, & over-the-top musical score that tends to make Westerns thrive. 'Appaloosa' isn't awful; not at all. But it's too mannered to bestow much praise.