The Western. Updated.

Rating: 9/10 (30 September 2007)

Everyone's saying it. This is the Western of the 2000s like Unforgiven was for the 90s. I liked Unforgiven, and I liked 3:10.
I like 3:10 better, though. I dunno bout those of you who have seen the original of this film, and I dunno if they modified the story for this version, but it seemed to be one of the most original westerns I've seen. Or maybe its that I love Westerns without clichés. The supporting stereotypical characters seemed very grounded and real. The acting by Russel Crowe and Christian Bale is worth paying for alone. And the direction was great. The maturity of this film is priceless, something Hollywood is starting to dish out nowadays. My hat's off to James Mangold and his crew.
I will probably have to tame my vote back down to 8 when I've psyched down a bit, cause it is a little slow in the earlier part of the film. This works for character building--and some great dialogue--and tension building, but the tension doesn't really get built until towards the end of the film, so that slower pace is definitely noticeable.
Thats my only grovel, though, for a film that is personally a 9.5 out of ten, but I don't wanna build your expectations. Enjoy it. And Mr. Mangold, I'm keenly awaiting your next project.