Great Western

Rating: 7/10 (23 August 2007)

I, too, saw a preview (at a press screening) and truly enjoyed the film. The performances ooze class, charisma and depth and for someone who is not so into Westerns I found myself lured into this tale of complex morality. Crowe is especially dashing in the film as a truly bad man who we want to believe to ultimately be good. He is really quite incredible and delivers such a complex performance, with complete ease. However none of the performances lack, not Bale's, not Foster's, not Fonda's. There is really an old school Western here, with a modern edge to it. 3:10 to Yuma is also quite stunning when it comes to cinematography and set design, but these elements merely help tell the story, they do not distract from it. It's definitely worth seeing. James Mangold (Walk the Line) is definitely a very talented director. I have this a 7 because I'm a film critic and am tough, but I think fans of the genre will likely rate it higher.