Appaloosa (Warner Brothers)
The Western Returns With A Vengeance
Ed Harris directs and stars in the new western Appaloosa. He also co-wrote the screenplay. He probably had some say in the casting too and he did fine work there by selecting Viggo Mortensen and Rene Zellwegger as his co-stars. Put it all together and you have the return of the western with a vengeance.
Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett Hitch (Mortensen) are lawmen for hire. They arrive in the town of Appaloosa and agree to protect the town. Of course the town has to sign them all rights of management in order to get them to agree. But they are worth whatever it costs as the town has been held in the greedy grasp of corrupt killer Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons).
Coles serious life is brightened immensely when a widow, Allie French (Zellwegger), arrives in town. She immediately latches on to Cole and softens some of his sharper edges. Hitch just watches all this from afar.
The plot gets more dramatic when Bragg is arrested and tried for murder. Although convicted he swears he will not be imprisoned. There is a long train ride between Appaloosa and the prison where he is to be taken. There are also some surprises along the way.
Harris and Mortensen are perfectly cast as two best friends who see eye to eye in almost every way, except maybe about Allie. Both men talk slowly and mean every word they say. Zellwegger takes a little getting used to in her role as the woman in the middle but she pulls it off and makes points for her acting skills. She is totally believable in all of Allies wanton ways.
Irons makes a menacing bad guy. You believe his evilness from the very start. He is thin but wiry, elegantly spoken but deadly in his intent. Alan Rickman might have been better in the role but Irons is still very good.
The film is rated R for profanity, nudity and violence.
Clint Eastwood is the master of bringing western stories to the screen and this movie has the look and feel of an Eastwood western. It is slow paced but every scene is necessary for the fulfilling of the story.
Ed Harris excelled in every hat he tried on with this film. He did it all and did it good. Appaloosa is a better than average movie.
I scored Appaloosa a horsy 7 out of 10.
