The Kind of Movie I Thought We Couldn't Make Any more

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2008)

"3:10 to Yuma" is the kind of movie I feared contemporary filmmakers had lost the ability to make: a coherent story, in which rich characters the viewer cares about, portrayed by real movie stars who can act and hold the viewer with their intense charisma, work through life problems the viewer can identify with; intelligently directed, beautifully produced, and so gripping the ending took me by surprise.
Some have referred to recent films as "post-human" and "post-star" and "post-modern" in their disregard for narrative. That's all well and good, but every now and then you want the gifts a solid narrative offers, characters you can identify with, and real life issues you can care about. At moments like that, watch "3:10 to Yuma." Director James Mangold keeps the tension high. Christian Bale, as Dan Evans, a one-legged Civil War vet trying to keep his struggling Arizona ranch together, gives one of the best performances in recent film. He is always 100% true to the material. He brings Dan Evans to life. While watching Bale convey common decency, desperation, and quiet strength, I kept wondering, "Where did Bale learn that? Where is he getting that from? What is he calling on?" Bale's performance is all the more impressive given that he's up against Russell Crowe as the charming, evil outlaw Ben Wade. Small parts are beautifully cast. Ben Foster makes an impact with his depiction of Wade's sartorially dashing underling, Charlie Prince. Gretchen Mol as Dan's wife Alice, Alan Tudyk as a caring veterinarian, Peter Fonda as a Pinkerton man, the great beauty who plays a woman Wade takes up with for a brief assignation, the railroad men who torture Wade  every actor is perfect.
"3:10 to Yuma" is the kind of film that thinking people discuss the next day after seeing it. What is the real relationship between Wade and Prince? What is the nature of good and evil? Why can't we make more movies like this?