crowe and bale superb

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2015)

In this 2007 Lionsgate production, directed by James Mangold, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale showed forth excellent acting abilities in this tense "High Noon"-type western. Russell Crowe plays the outlaw Ben Wade, a man so heartless that he does not care if even one of his own gang members is killed in front of him. Christian Bale plays the poor, mistreated farmer Dan Evans who must go after Wade and put him on the train the 3:10 to Yuma, since he needs the money so very much. Gretchen Mol is very appealing as she plays Dan Evans' wife. Ben Foster plays the mean, ugly cohort of Wade, and is was hard not to hate him. Although Dan Evans is a Christian man, he doesn't think twice about asking for the money that's coming to him, nor does he think twice about being brutal toward Wade. While, in the movie, it is a long distance to where Evans must put Wade on the train, the movie is not a bit boring, but is tense and exciting. Again, both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are very convincing. The action is exciting all the way, and the color is beautiful in its own way. In these days when many westerns are hard to find and/or see, this one is excellent as westerns go. A well-done production.