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American Hustle (2013)
Dull & Disappointing
Great actors do not always make great movies - Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner. I thought the acting in itself was actually very good but the story - extremely dull & disappointing. I am at a loss as to how/why American Hustle is being hailed as such a great movie when it lacks any colour or imagination. The premise of the story on the whole is quite good. Reading the story on which it is based makes for very interesting reading and as this is an adaption surely some more hustle (pardon the pun) could have been added. Instead it seems they play the whole thing down. So Cooper's character doesn't get the credit for bringing down politicians? Hardly the greatest ending to a story. The whole thing from beginning to end is bogged down by dialogue. At every turn it seems things just drag on and on and on - the movie goes for 2 hours 18 minutes & could have easily squeezed into an hour and a half. I read that a lot of the dialogue was improvised - perhaps some sort of script may have been in order because it really killed the movie for me. The only reason it gets 6 is because I thought the performances of Lawrence, Bale & Adams were very good. It's just a shame about the story they were given to act to. Is anyone else getting a little tired of the Bradley Cooper "I'm a little bit crazy but not so crazy that you don't like me" routine or is it just me? I'm not sure if the whole thing just went over my head but I watch about 100 movies a year and I can safely say this won't make the top 20.
Wyatt Earp's Revenge (2012)
Spend your time elsewhere
For very good reason, copies of this on DVD are selling for around A$2 on eBay. The parts of Val Kilmer retelling the story weren't too bad - it was the parts that showed the story that were just awful. It didn't flow at all and jumped around too much to be able to relate to any of it.
There's no other way to describe the acting than shocking. I've seen better acting at school plays than was on show here. I'd love to know how much these people were being paid for their roles. If it's anything significant then I'm downing tools and becoming an actor because while I may not be better than this lot (Kilmer excluded), I couldn't be worse.
The actual premise of the story in itself isn't a bad one and having done some research on it is quite an interesting tale. The way it's portrayed in Wyatt Earp's Revenge is just terrible. I wouldn't have been surprised if Rob Schneider popped in for a cameo it was that cringe worthy.
Kilmer was good, the rest not even worth bothering with.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Not one of the greatest
That this movie is called a Western firstly is one thing I strongly disagree with - secondly that it is named as one of the greatest Westerns of all time is another.
The story lacked any great vigour and plodded aimlessly along from the establishment of McCabe as the leader of the town, to his meeting Constance, to a final showdown with the bad guys. It was hard to feel any connection with the characters at all, and so when McCabe finally succumbs in the shoot out, when the audience should be feeling something for the fallen hero, I felt nothing.
I bought this movie on the basis of its awards and reviews and I was greatly disappointed that I spent 2 hours watching it. The lighting was dark, the music was awful and the story was horrid.
I gave it 4 stars merely for the shoot out scene and because Beatty gives a good performance while surrounded by some very ordinary ones.
Tombstone (1993)
Tell Em I'm Coming - And Hell's Coming With Me
This movie doesn't get the credit it most clearly deserves. The casting, acting, sets, script and story is magnificent. It shows a rough Arizona town - Tombstone - in the lead up to the event that put it on the map - the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
We're introduced early in the piece to retired lawman Wyatt Earp. Earp, whilst spending time on both sides of the law, was for the most part a peaceful man. At different times in his life he was a gambler, a law enforcement officer, an investor, a buffalo hunter, a boxing referee, a teamster on a wagon train and a barkeep. Kurt Russell's Wyatt is sharp, hard and rough - but behind his eyes you see a man just trying to live his life. Russell does a tremendous job of conveying the struggles of Wyatt's life as well as showing his ruthlessness in pursuit of the cowboys.
Moving to Tombstone seeking his fortune (not for the first time) he gets caught up in a feud with the cowboy faction led by Curly Bill Brocious and Johnny Ringo. Earp's brothers Morgan & Virgil, their wives and the cunning gunman & outlaw Doc Holiday also move to Tombstone.
It is the relationship between Wyatt & Doc which forms part of the remarkable story. One man, Wyatt, a strong lawman with values of loyalty and family and the tuberculosis ridden, womanizing, card playing murderer Doc. Holiday's only loyalty lays with Wyatt. Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc is one of the history's great pieces of character acting. How Kilmer was ignored for honours (bar 2 MTV awards) is astonishing. You could watch Tombstone just to see and hear Kilmer, who also gets most of the best lines. Playing a character racked with illness is no easy task and Kilmer carries it off with what seems like relative ease. No doubt Kilmer is one of the great actors of his time.
Wyatt's develops a friendship with travelling actress Josephine Marcus whilst his relationship with his partner Mattie collapses due to her laudanum addiction. This partnership was to develop into the main one of Wyatt's life and Delaney's performance as the bubbly Marcus, while easy to ignore with all the star power around her, is quite good.
Wyatt's rivalry with County Sheriff John Behan is tested due to their feelings towards Josie, and Behan's need for the cowboys to stay in town as they are good for business. Jon Tenney plays the part of politician Behan perfectly - outwardly friendly while devious behind closed doors.
The shoot out at the O.K. Corral is a famous and often viewed spectacle in film - but none does it better than this. The scene is one to remember - the Earps and Doc slowly walking towards the impending gunfight in a line across the street is now an iconic image.
The gunfight leads to severe retribution from both sides with Wyatt leading a vendetta against the cowboys who are seeking their own revenge on the law. One famous (and true life) scene is the face off between Wyatt and Brocious at Iron Springs - hopelessly surrounded, Wyatt treads defiantly to the middle of the river to face Brocious one on one. Powers Boothe's portrayal of the dastardly Brocious is chilling. He is able to bend the minds of his cowboys to his will, while for the most part protecting himself from capture.
Michael Biehn plays the mentally unstable Johnny Ringo marvellously - he is quick to enter into a rage and his Latin wordplay scene with Doc is one of the movies memorable moments. The other cowboy offsider is Ike Clanton, played by Stephen Lang. Lang does dirty well, and he had his job cut out for him with Ike who came up against all the Earp boys and Doc at one time or another.
Doc's showdown with Ringo shows the best parts of Kilmer in Tombstone before a heartfelt final goodbye between old friends Holiday and Wyatt. Their final scene together brings together the story of the two who despite their differences have a love, loyalty and respect for one another.
While some aspects of the story are embellished for the film, left out entirely or changed, there is still no denying that this is one of the great Western movies. Considering there were times when it wasn't going to be made, was written off by Kevin Costner as the inferior Wyatt Earp story (he made his own attempt the following year) and all but abandoned by the studios, it's amazing how spectacular Tombstone is. The acting is absolutely top notch and the actors gel so well they make you believe they're really as bad or good in real life. Tombstone was the first Western I ever saw and is still my favourite movie of all time. One for lovers of Westerns and one for movie lovers in general.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
One of the All Time Greats
One of the all time great movies of not only the Western genre but of cinematic history.
The time of the Western outlaw is coming to an end and while we see Butch & Sundance try and change their ways, they ultimately fall back on what they know best - bank robbery. The relentless pursuit of the law in America forces them to take flight to Bolivia where they are still forced to run.
The playful back & forth between Newman & Redford as the titular Butch & Sundance often makes you forget the fact that these are two of the most wanted criminals in America at the time. This easily allows you to fall onto the side of the outlaws outrunning the law, rather than the typical lawman hunting the bank robber. The script is flawless and the timing of Newman & Redford is spectacular. Having them vying for the affections of Etta Place brings a more humane side to a pair who would have been labelled ruthless killers in America at the time.
Their ultimate doom is well known by Old West history buffs but there is an overwhelming feeling that you want them to escape to Australia as they discussed. There are still reports that both lived on after their time in Bolivia but the final scene a fitting way to send off two of the most notorious outlaws of their time.
The Big Trail (1930)
A Testament to the Old West
Considering this film was made in 1930, firstly it's a miracle they could make it as they did - it was so gritty and really felt like you were transported back to the Old West. John Wayne features in his first leading film role and shows the earliest signs of the legend that he would become - that scowl, the look into the rascal's eyes and the threat that frontier justice would be done. As I watched, I couldn't help but think of what would happen to this film if it were to be remade in 2012? Could they replicate the harshness and how dirty the film looked? After seeing what they did to Wayne's True Grit (1969) in the 2010 version I believe they can, and I hope they do attempt a remake. I only hope they do it justice - imagine the final stalking of Flack & Lopez by Wayne's Breck Coleman. This was a masterpiece of the highest regard and the prelude to the golden era of Western movies.
Nate and the Colonel (2003)
I wouldn't watch this again if you paid me
I really wish I'd read the reviews of Nate and the Colonel before I'd seen it. After reading that it was compared to Dances with Wolves on the front cover of the DVD I thought I'd be in for a treat. How wrong I was. First off, the beard on Carlos Milano is laughable - not as laughable as his acting, but pretty close. Throw in some of the worst dialogue imaginable and the inexplicable fact of the Indians suddenly being able to speak fluent English halfway through and you've got one of the worst movies ever made. The story in itself has something to it. Had there been credible actors with at least an ounce of ability, any idea of how to edit a movie together and perhaps some time taken, I can see this as a half-decent show as the general premise is a worthwhile one. The best part of this movie is when it's over. I will now burn it to ensure nobody else has to sit through it.