Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol, Ben Foster, Alan Tudyk, Logan Lerman
Dir. James Mangold
Scr. Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt & Derek Haas (based on the short story by Elmore Leonard)
3:10 to Yuma is a sharp, action-packed, somewhat uneven western, with some good acting and a rubbish ending. Crowe and Bale are perfectly on-song, and are supported by a strong cast. I like a good western, and 3:10 to Yuma is close enough to being one to have entertained me. Don’t expect cinematic brilliance, but do expect a good night out.
Dan Evans (Bale), a small-time, struggling, one-legged rancher and Civil War veteran signs on to join a small group of men whose job it is to make sure outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe) catches the 3:10 train to Yuma, where he will be tried and hung for a slew of hold-ups and murders. The film follows their journey, and focuses on the battle of wills between Evans and Wade – Wade trying to corrupt the rancher; Evans trying his darnest to get Wade on that train and collect his $200 reward. Tagging along for the ride is, among others, Evans’ teenage son (Lerman) who has long since lost respect for his father and starts to see Wade as someone worth looking up to. Hot on their tail is Wade’s gang, led (in Wade’s absence) by the psychotic Charlie Prince (Foster), hell-bent on freeing Wade and killing anyone who gets in their way.
As in any good western, there is much of a moral nature to ponder – is Wade all bad? Is Evans all good? What will a man do when he is pushed to his limit? Evans is, by far, the most interesting and complex character and his journey is extremely compelling. Wade seems more clear-cut, but in the end, changes in a way that is simply unbelievable - sorry, I just didn’t buy it. The ending of 3:10 to Yuma does not entirely ruin what has come before, but it does make you exclaim “WTF?!” and feel slightly ripped off by the filmmakers. This would have been a finer film if it had ended differently. Just don’t ask me how I would have ended it …
The acting in this film is very solid indeed. There are some great turns by the supporting cast. Peter Fonda is simply a joy to watch, as a weathered and grizzly bounty-hunter. Alan Tudyk injects some humour and light to an otherwise heady story. Gretchen Mol gives an excellent performance as Evans’ wife. Ben Foster is chilling as Wade’s showy and ruthless right-hand man. Lerman is very good as William, the wide-eyed teenage son of Evans. The film really does hinge, however, on the performances of and relationship between Crowe and Bale. Crowe was clearly having fun as the confident, badass Wade and plays the role with relish. Bale, tackling a more nuanced and morally ambiguous character, is simply excellent in this film. More proof, if any was needed, that Bale is one of the finest actors of his generation. The film benefits from the almost tangible chemistry between Crowe and Bale.
The “shoot-em-up” in 3:10 to Yuma is perhaps a bit heavy-handed in parts. And it wasn’t as dusty and grimy as it perhaps should have been. But, all in all, this film feels and looks like a western of old. It could certainly have been 15 minutes or so shorter – perhaps they could have cut out the bad ending altogether! But these criticisms aside, I enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the western genre.
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Ben Wade: You ever read the bible, Dan? I read it one time. I was eight years old. My daddy just got hisself killed over a shot of whiskey and my mama said "we're going back East to start over". So she gave me a bible, sat me down in the train station, told me to read it. She was gonna get our tickets. Well, I did what she said. I read that bible from cover to cover. It took me three days. She never came back.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Michael Clayton
George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Austin Williams
Dir. Tony Gilroy
Scr. Tony Gilroy
Michael Clayton is a slow burning, intriguing legal thriller, not flawless but as fine a movie of its type as you’ll see this year. Clooney goes from strength to strength as an actor and in this film he is top-notch. With a strong supporting cast and a smarter-than-average script, you won’t be disappointed by Michael Clayton.
Michael Clayton is a “fixer”, a “janitor” – that guy in a law firm that makes a mess disappear. And what a mess he is faced with in this film – a senior partner strips off in a hearing and generally, well, goes bonkers while in charge of a case that has the potential, if unsuccessful, to bring the law firm down. Clayton is given the job of containing the crazy partner, who is perhaps not as crazy as it first appears. Without spoiling too much of the action, let’s just say there is murder, there is extortion, there’s an explosion (yay!), and there’s a healthy dose of second-guessing and intrigue. The pace may be a little slow in some places for adrenaline-junkie movie-goers, but it sits well with the complex story and gives us ample time to get to know the characters and care about what happens to them.
The acting in Michael Clayton is very good indeed – in particular, a triumvirate of exceptional performances. A brilliant turn from Wilkinson as the manic depressive Arthur Edens – there is no doubt this character is unbalanced but Wilkinson doesn’t let the role become too showy. He plays Edens with an undercurrent of intelligence and compassion. An equally fantastic performance from Swinton, who plays corporate counsel Karen Crowder, a woman thriving in a man’s world and, in the end, thriving just a little too well and a little too ruthlessly. Swinton has a magnetism about her. The final scene between her and Clayton is worth the price of admission. A very well deserved supporting actress Oscar win. And then we have George; lovely, lovely George. I truly believe that Clooney will be remembered in the same breath as the likes of Redford and Newman – an extremely talented leading man with much more than just good looks. And Michael Clayton is perhaps the best example of this – Clooney shines in the title role. Clayton is a morally ambiguous character and right until the final breath, we are not entirely sure on which side of the moral fence he will fall (perhaps it would have been more interesting if he fell on the opposite side than he did, but never mind). Clooney plays this flawed man superbly. In a weaker Oscar year, I would have put money on him winning.
This is not a perfect film, by any means, but it is one I heartily recommend. It’s a movie about ethics, about big business, about the lengths people will go to. If you’re in the mood for “27 Dresses”, don’t see this film. But if you want to be taken on a compelling and intriguing journey, see Michael Clayton.
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Michael Clayton: You are the senior litigating partner of one of the largest, most respected law firms in the world. You are a legend.
Arthur Edens: I'm an accomplice!
Michael Clayton: You're a manic-depressive!
Arthur Edens: I am Shiva, the god of death.
Dir. Tony Gilroy
Scr. Tony Gilroy
Michael Clayton is a slow burning, intriguing legal thriller, not flawless but as fine a movie of its type as you’ll see this year. Clooney goes from strength to strength as an actor and in this film he is top-notch. With a strong supporting cast and a smarter-than-average script, you won’t be disappointed by Michael Clayton.
Michael Clayton is a “fixer”, a “janitor” – that guy in a law firm that makes a mess disappear. And what a mess he is faced with in this film – a senior partner strips off in a hearing and generally, well, goes bonkers while in charge of a case that has the potential, if unsuccessful, to bring the law firm down. Clayton is given the job of containing the crazy partner, who is perhaps not as crazy as it first appears. Without spoiling too much of the action, let’s just say there is murder, there is extortion, there’s an explosion (yay!), and there’s a healthy dose of second-guessing and intrigue. The pace may be a little slow in some places for adrenaline-junkie movie-goers, but it sits well with the complex story and gives us ample time to get to know the characters and care about what happens to them.
The acting in Michael Clayton is very good indeed – in particular, a triumvirate of exceptional performances. A brilliant turn from Wilkinson as the manic depressive Arthur Edens – there is no doubt this character is unbalanced but Wilkinson doesn’t let the role become too showy. He plays Edens with an undercurrent of intelligence and compassion. An equally fantastic performance from Swinton, who plays corporate counsel Karen Crowder, a woman thriving in a man’s world and, in the end, thriving just a little too well and a little too ruthlessly. Swinton has a magnetism about her. The final scene between her and Clayton is worth the price of admission. A very well deserved supporting actress Oscar win. And then we have George; lovely, lovely George. I truly believe that Clooney will be remembered in the same breath as the likes of Redford and Newman – an extremely talented leading man with much more than just good looks. And Michael Clayton is perhaps the best example of this – Clooney shines in the title role. Clayton is a morally ambiguous character and right until the final breath, we are not entirely sure on which side of the moral fence he will fall (perhaps it would have been more interesting if he fell on the opposite side than he did, but never mind). Clooney plays this flawed man superbly. In a weaker Oscar year, I would have put money on him winning.
This is not a perfect film, by any means, but it is one I heartily recommend. It’s a movie about ethics, about big business, about the lengths people will go to. If you’re in the mood for “27 Dresses”, don’t see this film. But if you want to be taken on a compelling and intriguing journey, see Michael Clayton.
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Michael Clayton: You are the senior litigating partner of one of the largest, most respected law firms in the world. You are a legend.
Arthur Edens: I'm an accomplice!
Michael Clayton: You're a manic-depressive!
Arthur Edens: I am Shiva, the god of death.
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