A decent modern take on western and one that managed to keep me entertained until the very end. Initially I believed that this was nothing more than two law guns for hire tracking down a sheriff killer and bringing him to justice. Yet the film produces memorable twists and performances to warrant your attention. Even Zellweger is ideally cast and not too annoying as she can often be. Viggo Mortensen turns another understated effort, being the brains of the outfit, with Jeremy Irons installing his customary presence in the role of the main villain.
Directed by Ed Harris it is an extremely promising effort in one of the blandest of genres. By that I mean its very difficult to bring something new to the Western, this is no El Topo or violent epic yet the fact that Harris has managed to deliver a refreshing film is praise in itself. Arguably more could have been made of the landscape as in Seraphim Falls, but that will come from experience.
The attention to detail and cinematography make this film watchable alone. Add the quirky and wonderful performances by the main perfomers and this is should become a classic.
I had not appreciated how unfashionable the Western genre was until I watched this. Why? Well it is all about bravado and mysogamy, dusty horses and whiskey. There are superheroes and desired dames, is it so different from Bond or so many others? I think it that the Wild West is not a reality easy to identify with. I haven't watched a Western for a long while and although this is a good one I won't watch another for a while.