An action-packed western that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2008)

A roller coaster ride of flawless action and brilliant dramatic strength. Bale and Crowe are two of the greatest modern actors, in my eyes, and they fail to disappoint in this one. Both of them deliver absolutely exceptional performances and watching them play off one another is one of the most memorable film experiences of my this year in cinema. The supporting performers also turn in some noteworthy work, notably from Ben Foster (who's out of control charismatic brilliance is possibly the highlight of the film for me) and Peter Fonda. It was also great to see Logan Lerman get a meaty part, after the terrible cancellation of the phenomenal television series Jack and Bobby in which he gave a wonderful performance in the title Bobby role. I did feel that Gretchen Mol was pretty underused, though.
The story itself also happens to be sensational, consisting of a vast array of beautifully unique and intricate characters. Every character has so many flaws and details provided by the script, making it fascinating to see what happens to them throughout. The action is some of the best I've ever seen. It takes a visceral, gritty and in-your-face look at Western violence. We follow the characters from their point of view as they charge on their horses to rob a bank courier. All of the action is so hard-hitting and intense that it left me hanging onto the edge of my seat. The final battle, as Evans (Bale) and Wade (Crowe) sprint through a town with guns blazing and 30-40 men trying to stop them from reaching the 3:10, is one of the most fascinating and enjoyable rides I've ever experienced.
I was, however, quite displeased by the completely unrealistic fact that Evans was sprinting and charging through the town, going just as fast as Wade, when Evans had lost one of his feet during the Civil War and was running on a prosthetic foot. Pretty bizarre that a man with only one actual foot could move that quickly. It's easy to forgive this small displeasure though, due to the sensational work all around. The ending is utterly amazing, as it provides two huge twists that evoked more shock and gasps from the audience than DiCaprio's death in The Departed (which I saw on opening night with a sold out theater, so that's saying a lot). The ending combines an anti-Hollywood, tragic and beautiful death with a very Hollywood (but reasonably so, trust me) decision that I didn't see coming from a mile away. In short, it's definitely one of the best films of the year and more than lived up to all of my great expectations.