"I Hate Posses"

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2007)

As he did with "Walk the Line" two years ago, James Mangold has brought an element of aged entertainment back into the spotlight for new generations to enjoy. This time, however, instead of picking up a bunch of Johnny Cash CDs, viewers are sure to run to the stores and pick up some classic westerns.
With "3:10 to Yuma," Mangold and crew have re-vitalized the Western in a new style that still manages to hold on to what we all love about Westerns. The film stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as two men divided by the law and by their sense of justice. Bale plays the "good guy," but he still manages to have some serious gray areas. Crowe plays the villain, though he's perhaps the most likable character in the film. Early on in the film, we see just how much influence Crowe's character holds over his crew, but it's completely believable. As we see more and more of him, we start to like him, eve if he is a brutal killer. What's interesting is that he acts in a way that he considers just.
The plot is simple, though it is full of character development and intensity. There are some scenes that actually manage to be very emotionally true. There are some scenes that make you laugh hysterically until you realize how twisted the humor is. There are some scenes where the intensity goes on full-blast and we get that cool "Western" feeling. Al in all, it's a great story with enough great scenes to fill a whole city.
What brings this film to the next level is the acting. Christian Bale is very restrained and subtle as the protagonist, and his performance suits the film well. Peter Fonda gives a great minor performance that is sure to arouse memories of his father's older roles. Still there are two performances in this film that should surely be nominated for Oscars. Russell Crowe deserves a Best Actor nod for his fun and likable portrayal of such a complex and gray-shaded villain. This may be his best performance so far in his career. However, the show-stealer here is really Ben Foster as Charlie Prinze, Wade's (Crowe's) right-hand man. He embodies the classic spirit of a western villain. His lines are the best and most quotable in the film. His expressions and accent are also pitch-perfect. He utilizes his heavily-made-up face to create some of the most intense moments of the film. He also plays one of the most interesting characters in the film. He has a devotion for Crowe's character that is so strong and so passionate that it borders on (if not crosses) some unwritten lines that were only barely touched upon in past Westerns, with the exception of a particularly "different" one that came out a couple of years ago.
See "3:10 to Yuma" for the acting. See it for the upsetting but powerful take on violence. If none of these things appeal to you, just see it for the chase and shoot-out scenes and for the sheer fun spirit that the film embodies.