
Posts Tagged ‘western’
Bone Tomahawk (2015) Review
Posted: November 17, 2016 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: Bone Tomahawk, Horror, Jack Heller, S. Craig Zahler, thriller, western

In a Valley of Violence (2016) Review
Posted: October 24, 2016 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: In a Valley of Violence, movies, review, Taissa Farmiga, Ti West, western
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A drifter is left for dead and returns to the town that wronged him and his dog.
After a spate of disappointing low budget westerns including two featuring Scott Eastwood, In the Valley Violence is entertaining crafted with care. While it’s no Hateful 8, Unforgiven or Tombstone to name a few, known for his atmospheric horrors director Ti West offers a solid off beat modest Western.
With opening credits that are reminiscent of Sergio Leone’ Dollars trilogy and story beats which echo, John Wick and Rambo, West offers a Western in the vain of High Plains Drifter. It’s a dusty grim dead silver mining town, there’s no hustle and bustle. It’s a low key affair with a small cast including John Travolta as a tough mediating marshal who steals the show. Burn Gorman is notable as an intoxicated Priest. Ethan Hawke’s Paul is quite fleshed out, wanting to forget his past and get to Mexico. His dialogue with Taissa Farmiga’s Mary-Anne rings true. It’s really a James Ransone’s Deputy Gilly Martin versus Hawke’s Paul rather than Travolta versus Paul yarn. Abbie (Jumpy) the dog deserves a mention. Karen Gillan is worthy of note along with Eric Robbins’ cinematography who masterfully frames the makeshift town.
Although past West collaborator Jeff Grace’s score can be intrusive it oddly works better when it’s not channelling Ennio Morricone. Bloody and violent in places with a few shoot outs, a hanging and slit throat, Grace along with West build some effective tense moments and to Ti’s credit he also offers some humour that gives In a Valley of Violence a refreshing push.
It’s a pity that West’s marked as an army deserter Paul, didn’t emulate the Man With No Name rather than try hard to avoid clichés as the homage in context of the tale may have elevated the story more and satisfy fans looking for a resurgence of the Eastwood style.
While it’s paint by numbers stuff and won’t shake the genre, it utilises the emptiness in contrast to the big budget Westerns and wisely makes the small cast ensemble and empty town part of the story. Recommend.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Posted: December 20, 2015 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: review, The Hateful Eight, western
A blizzard forces a group of four to take shelter at Minnie’s Haberdashery where they encounter four more strangers. With betrayal and deception, the eight strangers realise they may not make it to destination, Red Rock, after all.
The Hateful Eight offers impeccable framing, mountain landscapes, opening with a snow covered statue of Jesus. This film is all about justice and executions. The film is broken up with synonymous Quentin Tarantino chapter title cards. With Outlaw Josey Wales and Spaghetti Western coolness mixed with Tarantino seemingly nonchalant, yet, diligent story telling The Hateful Eight partly plays out like a heavyweight Cluedo mystery. Escaping an impeding blizzard menacing Russell known as the Hangman and bounty hunter outlaw Samuel Jackson ooze charisma and the whole cast clearly enjoy the wordplay. With its few locations (Reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs), as the group are isolated at a stagecoach passover (incidentally including Dogs’ actor Tim Roth) it’s mostly reliant on the actors talents and script. There’s notably interesting flashbacks and a midway 4th wall voice over which brakes the confinement of the film up. Thankfully, the planets are aligned and all the elements like a jigsaw puzzle fit together in Tarantino’s favour.
Ennio Morricone score is perfect, but Tarantino also slips in a track and later a song performance (by an almost unrecognisable excellent Jennifer Jason Leigh) which surprisingly work considering its a winter set Western. There’s a fanboy moment in a snowstorm where they stake guide rods and Ennio’s score pulses harking back to the remote beats and paranoia of The Thing. It has a small cast ensemble. As the opening credits run anyone with an appreciation of film will have a inclination it’s a Tarantino film simply by its tight casting, from classic to cult actors. Many he has already worked with and some he’s prompted a deserving career revival. Samuel L. Jackson is outstanding with his Sherlock-like prowess. Walton Goggins is particularly notable. The supporting cast are great and include the likes of Zoe Bell, (surprisingly seriously good) Channing Tatum, Michael Madsen (also of Reservoir Dogs) to name a few.
It’s a fine production, packed with seemingly period authenticity, excellent costumes, props, right down to the mutton chops and facial hair. There’s plenty of historical social commentary, modern mirroring subtext and choice language that intentional or not will no doubt cause ears to prick up as the array of characters interact. Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who has worked with Tarantino on various film along with the naturalist lighting and setting gives the proceedings visual weight.
Lincoln letters, horse carriages, shootouts, it’s gritty, violent, hard hitting packed with punchy dialogue driven scenes. It’s edgy, naturalistic with poisoning, double crosses, twists and turns synonymous with Tarantino’s back catalogue. There’s also a memorable gross out scene with sick and blood, also severed limbs courteous of make-up veteran Greg Nicotero. There’s exploding heads and when the tension builds and shoot outs happen they have a brutal impact.
There are great character arcs and development but debatably Russell and Roth steal the show. It’s undeniably talkie but with plot surprises, fine performances and sharp writing, if you like Tarantino’s trademark style and Westerns in general it’s doesn’t get much better than this.
Fullmoon’s Oblivion and Backlash
Posted: February 7, 2012 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: backlash, fullmoon, oblivion, oblivion 2, review, scifi, western
Forsaken (2015) Review
Posted: November 21, 2016 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: Aaron Poole, Brian Cox, Donald Sutherland, Forsaken, Jon Cassar, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Wincott, movies, review, reviews, western
Share my dead:
Like this: