Upon drifting into a troubled Western outpost and discovering that the helpless locals are being terrorized by a ruthless rancher and his brutish hired hands, two rugged, straight-shooting peacemakers decide to stick around and put things right in this Western adapted from the novel by Robert B. Parker and directed by Ed Harris. Bragg (Jeremy Irons) is a rancher who believes himself to be above the law, a stance that's forever cemented when he guns down the town sheriff and his deputy in cold
blood. Horrified, the defenseless townspeople pray for the day a savior will arrive in town to free them from Bragg's suffocating grasp. Soon thereafter, Virgil (Harris) and Everett (Viggo Mortensen) stride into town atop two mighty steeds, their confident presence signaling the beginning of a new era if the locals will only grant Virgil the complete power he needs to bring Bragg to justice. After pinning on his new badge, Virgil appoints Everett his deputy and ushers in an era of uneasy peace. Later, a woman named Allison (Renée Zellweger) arrives in town and catches Virgil's eye, prompting a die-hard renegade to consider a calm life of domestication. As Virgil's feelings for Allison grow, both begin to wonder if a life together is truly in the cards. Meanwhile, a temporarily subdued Bragg begins to display signs that he may not be finished with this town just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
There's a refreshing vein of understated humor running throughout the production. It's neither forced nor unnatural and it keeps things from becoming too somber, even when the bullets start flying.
From its first, mournful brass theme, Ed Harris's Appaloosa nails the look and feel of a classic Western. This is an old-style, laconically macho, six-shooting horse opera made with an obvious and unapologetic love of the genre.
True, the film is a little long, and it loses momentum at one stage, but generally speaking this is a most enjoyable return to what was once the cinema's most popular genre.
Viggo Mortensen is a trustworthy ally in the project, an actor whose extraordinary range enables him to move his performance along the scale from 0 to 100 at will.
Wearing not only his actor's lawman hat, but also that of director and co-screenwriter, Ed Harris delivers a splendid film, filled with nuances, complexities and substance
Harris has made himself a reputation as a mark of quality...Like Pollack, Appaloosa has the best of both worlds, with Harris both in front of and behind the camera. [Blu-ray]
I give thanks for westerns. Every time they seem to be about to gasp their last, dusty breath, one comes along to give them a bit of renewed life. Bless it, the western genre will not die. Last year it was the excellent remake 3:10 to Yuma. This ye
It is as though Harris could not decide whether he was making the classic western of his boyhood dreams, or merely a pastiche of it. The result, falling somewhere between the two, ends up being neither here nor there.
Crackling eccentric verbal wit as Harris' marshal seeks to 'button up this town tighter than a nun's corset' while overcome by Zellweger's irresistible flirty charms, because she 'chews her food nicely and even takes a bath before going to bed.
We've seen it all before: a small town terrorized by a vile gang of outlaws; having their own way as if nothing could ever stop them. That is, until a new sheriff and his entourage shows up to challenge their sway - fearless in their attempt to establish some order. In that regard, this isn't exactly what you'd call a
groundbreaking picture. Thankfully, however, this routine formula is but employed in the beginning of the film. What follows is something of less predictable nature; taking us on a voyage more variable and unforeseen. An appealing gunslinger tale, blessed by the presence of formidable actors like Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons. All of them bringing a quality to the screen that more than compensates for the hackneyed first chapter. Additionally, it deserves to be said that I was entertained throughout. Not spectacular in any way, but solid without question and well worth the view.
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