Director: Kevin Costner
Screenplay: Craig Storper
Rating: R for Violence, Mild Profanity
Running Time: 140 Minutes
Studio: Touchstone
Seen At: Harkins Flagstaff 11: Flagstaff, AZ
Don't you just truly despise people who must insist on talking on their cell phones during the movie? It happened today, and this woman was right in front of me. It actually happened twice. It was almost worth it the second time when the guy next to me muttered, "Jesus Christ." Amen to that.
Out Of Time- Denzel Washington is framed for arson and murder, at a house where he had thought about "borrowing" some money. You can tell by this trailer that although Washington's character is portrayed as innocent, he's probably guilty.
Intolerable Cruelty- The Coen brothers' latest finds George Clooney as a divorce attorney who matches wits with the ex-wife of his client, played by Catherine-Zeta Jones. Clooney is Clooney and this looks unspectacular.
A lot had been said this year about how unlikely a pirate movie would do with today's audiences before Pirates of the Caribbean was released. A similar statement could be made about the Western, which has seen better days. Open Range is a different kind of Western. Although there are heroes, they do not fit the archetype of the cowboys we have seen in the past. These men have a dark history, blood on their hands and an appetite to do anything they have to for revenge. Not too much separates hero from villain in this picture.
Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and Charlie Waits (Kevin Costner) have been riding together for nearly a decade. They are known as freegrazers, and in the advancing world they live in, they are unwelcome. Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon) looks to not only round up their cattle, but also drive them away from the town. He sends his men out near them, and the freegrazers learn that one of their apprentices has been shot (along with Charlie's dog, which is quite sad) and killed and the other is alive but wounded. This action prompts Boss and Charlie to go into town and hunt down those responsible.
Along the way, Charlie meets a woman named Sue Barlow (Annette Bening) who is taking care of their apprentice. Once he realizes that Sue is not the doctor's wife, but his sister (and believe me, he was quite embarassed about the misconception) he is torn between admitting his feelings for her and going commando on the men he intends to kill. There will obviously be some of the latter, but Charlie finds it difficult for Sue to accept him the way he is.
For a 2-hour-plus movie, Open Range moves quite fast. The story is involving, the cinematography is perfect and you find yourself completely immersed in this story. It doesn't hurt that the inevitable climactic showdown is one of the most entertaining scenes you'll find in any movie this year.
The main aspect of the movie that hampers it is the acting. It's not terrible, but for an ambitious movie like this, it certainly deserves to be much better. The best job comes from Duvall, whose character offsets the more dramatic aspects of his life with a nice sense of humor. He's unquestionably the leader of it all. Costner struggles in this area. I was begging with him to show some variations in his eyes and voice, although I liked how he showed some vulnerability in his character. Bening started out weak, but her performance got stronger as time went on.
In a month where a lot of crummy films are being released, hopefully Open Range may attract some viewers. It's not the best film of the year, but it's great entertainment that you should not miss.