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Open Range
Other // R // August 15, 2003
List Price: Unknown
Kevin Costner manages not only to resurrect his career, but resurrect the good, old fashioned American Western with Open Range, a movie that doesn't follow the lead of Dances With Wolves, but instead seems to get its inspiration from Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. Costner plays a former gunfighter turned cattle grazer who finds the need for his sharpshooting skills once again when one of his fellow grazers is brutally murdered and the other is left for dead.
Costner, who is desperately in need of a box office hit (even though many of his films haven't deserved the critical and audience pans they have gotten), does the wise thing here and doesn't try to carry this movie all on his own. Also enlisted for action are the great Robert Duvall (who plays a cowboy better than anyone in Hollywood) and the stunningly beautiful Annette Bening, who crosses paths with Costner's character when he brings his injured friend to her hospital/home, where her brother is a doctor.
Much like Unforgiven there's a message here about violence and the effect that violence has on a man's soul. What I particularly liked about the climax to Open Range, which ends in a great Western shoot-em-up, was that the camera lingered on the results of the action…the movie just doesn't end at the conclusion of the gun fight – we stick around for a while to see the clean-up and the town's reaction to the violence.
While Costner is the star of the movie, Duvall has an equally important role, and if any Oscar buzz comes from this film, it will most certainly be pointed towards Duvall, who gives one of his best performances ever as "Boss" Spearman, the leader of Costner's character's grazing team. Also quite remarkable is the cinematography (by James Muro) and direction (by Costner). From the lush green hills of the open countryside to the dinginess of the makeshift town where much of the events of the film take place, this feels like a "real" Western, rather than a politically correct Hollywood version that was made simply to rake in the cash.
I have no idea if this movie will bomb or be a success at the box office. Nor do I know what kind of reaction Costner is going to get from both the media and moviegoers alike concerning this picture. What I do know is that with this movie, Kevin has proven that Dances With Wolves was no fluke - he is both a very good director and a fine, fine actor – and it's good to see him back in the saddle again with a movie that I highly recommended for all those who wish that they still made 'em like they used to.
Costner, who is desperately in need of a box office hit (even though many of his films haven't deserved the critical and audience pans they have gotten), does the wise thing here and doesn't try to carry this movie all on his own. Also enlisted for action are the great Robert Duvall (who plays a cowboy better than anyone in Hollywood) and the stunningly beautiful Annette Bening, who crosses paths with Costner's character when he brings his injured friend to her hospital/home, where her brother is a doctor.
Much like Unforgiven there's a message here about violence and the effect that violence has on a man's soul. What I particularly liked about the climax to Open Range, which ends in a great Western shoot-em-up, was that the camera lingered on the results of the action…the movie just doesn't end at the conclusion of the gun fight – we stick around for a while to see the clean-up and the town's reaction to the violence.
While Costner is the star of the movie, Duvall has an equally important role, and if any Oscar buzz comes from this film, it will most certainly be pointed towards Duvall, who gives one of his best performances ever as "Boss" Spearman, the leader of Costner's character's grazing team. Also quite remarkable is the cinematography (by James Muro) and direction (by Costner). From the lush green hills of the open countryside to the dinginess of the makeshift town where much of the events of the film take place, this feels like a "real" Western, rather than a politically correct Hollywood version that was made simply to rake in the cash.
I have no idea if this movie will bomb or be a success at the box office. Nor do I know what kind of reaction Costner is going to get from both the media and moviegoers alike concerning this picture. What I do know is that with this movie, Kevin has proven that Dances With Wolves was no fluke - he is both a very good director and a fine, fine actor – and it's good to see him back in the saddle again with a movie that I highly recommended for all those who wish that they still made 'em like they used to.
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