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Appaloosa Movie Review

Written by backrowcritic

Friday, 03 October 2008 17:28

Appaloosa

Directed by:

Ed Harris

Writers:

Robert Knott
Ed Harris
Robert B. Parker

Starring:

Jeremy Irons
Viggo Mortensen
Renee Zellweger
Ed Harris

Quote:

Feelings can get you killed.

I waited in a long line to see this film. You see, I’m a western freak. I actually arrived late to work because I wanted to finish seeing Ride the High Country - and I was taping it at the time!

Anyway, I waited in line because westerns are few and far between these days. They tend to be very costly and most of them tend to have a Post-Peckinpah feeling of futility and depression. I heard that the material here would be a bit lighter in spirit. (Although someone compared it to Unforgiven ) I also had high hopes for the cast and what they could do.

The film is a buddy movie. Two mercenaries (Viggo Mortenson & Ed Harris) travel from town to town fixing “problems” and then ride along. They ride into Appaloosa, and strike a deal to rid the town of an evil rancher (Jeremy Irons) and restore law and order to the town. Of course a well mannered “lady” (Renee Zellwegger) arrives and starts stirring the pot a bit between the two friends. It is a neat and tidy little screenplay that is the makings of an old-school classic western. But it didn’t really go there.

It’s a good film, but not great. I was about halfway through it before I figured out why I was getting disappointed: we were watching a TV pilot, not a feature film. It was perfectly shot, predictably scored and had the anti-climactic ending that you’d find in any respectable miniseries. I loved the dialogue and the relationships between the characters – I just wish they went a little further with it while picking up the action.

Ah well, I can always find Lonesome Dove on cable.

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