BuzzSugar

Appaloosa: Solid Entertainment But Could Have Been More

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:33:32 -0700

Appaloosa is a totally passable and - to my surprise - fun (and funny) Western movie. I'm amazed Ed Harris, the star/director/co-writer of the film, hasn't played more gunslingers, because his face was built for it. Under the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat, his skin looks believably weathered and creased, his bone structure sturdy and chiseled. By contrast, Harris's costar, Viggo Mortensen, is not what I think of when I think "cowboy." He's long and lean and hardly recognizable under a strange (but probably historically accurate) haircut and facial hair. His character drags around one of those giant long-barreled shotguns as opposed to expertly twirling a smaller one out of his holster.

The pair make a fine acting duo; they have an easy chemistry I could watch all night long. Beyond that, Appaloosa tells a well-thought-out story. But unlike Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or last year's remake of 3:10 to Yuma, there is no new cinematic ground being broken here. For the most part, it's simply a traditional Western, which - depending on your outlook - can either be a great way to spend a night at the movies or a teensy bit disappointing. To see what I mean, just read more.

Harris plays Virgil Cole, a man who makes a living off the lawless frontier by helping out towns overrun with criminal activity. When we first meet Virgil and his deputy, Everett Hitch (Mortensen), it's clear the two men have known each other for a while; they're the Old West dude-equivalent of BFFs. They can read each other's body language, complete each other's sentences, and are committed to having each other's backs. It's touching and pretty cute without ever being silly. Not even the charms of a new gal in town, Allie French (Renee Zellweger), can shake up the loyalty between the friends.

They arrive in Appaloosa, New Mexico, at the request of the business leaders there to help rid the town of a criminal menace named Randall Bragg (played by Jeremy Irons, sporting a strange American accent). Irons plays evil eloquently, and it suits his character well, but it's hard to get over seeing him in cowboy boots in this dusty town. Physically, he doesn't move like the others; it's hard to tell if this is inspired casting or just weird. Anyway, Virgil, in order to get the job done, declares himself the top law dog, and from there the stage is set for a showdown of some sort in a coral.

To Harris's credit, what could have been a totally predicable movie is not. Zellweger's Allie is one of the most interesting, complicated female characters I've seen in the genre, and just when you think you know the outcome of a given scene, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways. To that end, it's a great ride. On the negative side, lots of little moments wrapped up in those twists are never really explored or given much weight. There's a moment near the beginning when all the fun cowboy stuff abruptly ends and Harris's character beats the crap out of someone for no good reason. We've warmed up to the guy only to learn he's a live wire with an ambiguous sense of justice. It's intriguing but glossed over. Digging in to his psyche is the kind of thing that could have made this movie great, but as it is, it's just a darn good story come to life by darn good actors.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie Preview: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:30:00 -0700

I first told you about this movie in my Fall Movie Preview that focused on the Westerns that are coming out this fall, and gave you all a glimpse of the ever-handsome Brad Pitt playing Jesse James. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford has Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck costarring as Jesse James and Robert Ford. From the title, you can kind of tell what happens, so I was intrigued to watch the trailer to find out exactly what else this movie entailed.

The trailer is slow-moving and ominous, with Affleck convincingly portraying Robert Ford - a member of Jesse James' group who becomes resentful of James and vows to get rid of him -as someone with a lot of sketchy stuff simmering just beneath the surface. I'm looking forward to watching these two play off each other (along with the other cast members, like Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel) when Assassination opens September 21. To see the preview, read more

Source

Fall Movie Preview: The Westerns

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today I'm focusing on a curious surge of new takes on an old genre: the Western.

The Assasination of Jesse James by That Coward Robert Ford
The title kind of says it all, huh? Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James in this story about Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) who "joins Jesse James's gang, only to become resentful of the legendary outlaw and hatch a plan to kill the fastest gun in the West." The trailer on the movie's website doesn't give a whole lot away, but this movie had me at "Western" and "Brad Pitt."

Giddyup! Two more dusty, gritty Westerns when you read more

3:10 to Yuma
If you've been checking Buzz lately you know I'm looking forward to this Western remake that stars Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster and Peter Fonda. In 3:10 to Yuma, "a small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher." Check out the tension-filled trailer.

No Country for Old Men
Though this latest Coen Brothers' project didn't take home as many of the accolades it was expected to at Cannes this year, the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Apparently the film is full of the typical Coen darkness, strangeness and humor, and even the plot description sounds familiar: "Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande." They must be doing something right, though, because critics adore this film, and I can't wait to catch it on the big screen myself.

All images Source

Mad Men, "The Color Blue": This Week's 5 Maddest Moments

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:30:34 -0700

I have often found myself forgetting that Mad Men began with its leading man's Big Dirty Secret - and that not everyone knows the truth. That may be about to change, as we saw on this week's episode, "The Color Blue."

As usual, I've recapped the episode by its maddest moments, so to see them, just read more.

Fits: So Don finds himself in the middle of another affair, and this time, the object of his affection seems far more emotionally invested than his previous mistresses. Don seems like he could be as invested as her, driving Susie's brother to his new job, but I think it has more to do with "doing the right thing," whatever that means to Don. Susie, on the other hand, is looking more like a live wire to me - her showing up on the train is pretty stalkery, and I didn't believe her when she denies calling Don's house.
The Box: My heart stopped when Betty found Don's desk key and the box that contains all relics of Don's existence as Dick Whitman, including a divorce certificate with Don's name on it. She may have been confused by the scrawled "Dick" on his photos, but the divorce paperwork is unquestionably damaging. Betty is frightened to bring it up and what she may learn, but her pained looks at Don at the Sterling Cooper party comprise some of January Jones's finest work on the show.
Faded ink: I really felt for Paul when he failed to write down his amazing idea for Western Union. I felt even more for him when he watched Peggy summon up a winning pitch in front of Don using his misfortune as inspiration. The look on his face was that of realizing he's not talented the way Peggy is, and to me - I thought it meant Paul may be reconsidering his career.
Mad Woman: Despite my pity for Paul, I couldn't have been more proud of Miss Peggy. Even though Paul initially tries to deride her success as being a woman on female-centric campaigns, Peggy's talent is clearly more than that (or simple spontaneity). Paul sees it, Don sees it - will Duck's competing agency Grey see it, too, if Sterling Cooper fails to recognize it on the whole?
For sale by owner: Sterling Cooper is set to be sold again, the British owners reveal. At least one person is happy about the possibility - Pryce's London-lorn wife. The agency has been thrown into upheaval in is first sale, what will happen in its next?

Do you think Betty will begin questioning Don about his box of secrets? What do you make of the title, "The Color Blue?" I took it as a moral ambiguity reference, after it came up in Don and Susie's pillow talk. Let me know what you thought of this week's episode below, and to talk more Sterling Coop, join the Mad Men group in the community!

Photo courtesy of AMC