Best film of this year?

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2007)

Or, at least, no doubt a shot for Oscar's. The plot is rather simple: Dan Evans (Christian Bale) desperately needs 200 bux to water his land and to feed his family, thus takes on a dangerous task of delivering local outlaw celebrity (Ben Wade, played by Russell Crowe) to the 3:10 prison train to Yuma. Don't make a mistake - this is a remake of 1957 movie, but by no means a replica. I just downloaded the old version and watched about half of it, and what i can say - 2007' "3:10 to Yuma" is about as contemporary as any movie could be. First, Ben Wade. In the old version, he was as simple as a stone - good-humored, cold- blooded rascal, but no more. Crowe's Wade is a mystery in himself, with all this bird- sketching, Bible references and tragedy in the past. Definitely he's not just an outlaw  he's a guy who defies God himself, and, jugging by the movie ending, not without success. He's constantly playing, making a world of his own - in short, he's a puppeteer. Snickering and cool he might be, but there is a raging volcano somewhere deep inside. Next, what about Evans? In the 1957 version, he seems like a moderately successful farmer. He has this little problem with water, but make no mistake - he knows his way about the land and livestock, his children and his wife respect him. And Bale's character? He's a "person with disability" (lost his leg during the war), his wife doesn't think much about him, his older son defies him. Doesn't it sound like a modern age hero? With much more of these tragic hues, Evans is definitely closer to us than Van Heflin's good farmer guy. And then, locked in a room face to face with his own destiny, he chooses the only way a modern hero would choose. Self-destruction and glory eternal ;) But, definitely, Ben Foster's character Charlie Prince is the hit. He's a scene stealer, and even Crowe and Bale look kind of bleak compared to Foster's passion and rage. There is definitely gay undertone in his performance, which is completely absent from 1957 movie (in old version Charlie Prince even flirts with barmaid - in this one Wade seems to be the one and only object of his passion). Dunno how much of this stuff was scripted and how much Foster brought to the character, but you don't easily forget mad and beautiful Prince's eyes. Anyway, gay or not, let's say - there is much more than just loyalty in Prince's desperate ride to Wade's rescue. The last scene, when Wade shoots Prince in cold blood, and, especially, the look Ben Foster's character gives him, is, IMO, one of the strongest cinematic moments in the entire history of the industry. Interestingly, there is almost no place for women in the remake - even a love story is "all men". The mark of nowdays? Or just director's search for originality? Anyway, this is by far the best movie i saw in 2007. Beautifully shot, strong characters, magnificent desert landscapes and never-ending tension  it looks much more like a scary fairy tale, than a real life story (and 1957 film is real life to the core)  but isn't our life now a scary fairy tale? The ending, improbable as it is, sent chill down my spine. It's a 100% must see.