3:10 to Yuma (2007)

 A contemporary yet classic Western
3:10 to Yuma is similar to The Red Badge of Courage (Wordsworth Classics), where a man has something to prove - to his family, friends, and peers. Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a former sharpshooter in the Union Army who was injured during war, and has since moved on to the town of Bisby, an arid, poor, primitive land of ranchers and farmers. It turns out, however, that Evans was wounded in the leg during a retreat, and he desperately wishes to prove himself to his adoring family.

Meanwhile, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) leads a gang of outlaws who rob stagecoaches. The most memorable of Wade's men is Charlie Prince, a vile, psychopathic character with an itchy trigger finger and absolutely no remorse. Wade - a slick-talking con-man who attacks foes through gunplay and/or psychology - and the gang particularly love to attack shipments protected by the Al Pinkerton protection agency; they've hit a string of 21 straight worth over 400K in losses.

During one peculiar scenario, Wade decides to stick around a town, post-robbery, while unprotected. In a matter of no time he's captured by the authorities, one of which is Byron McElroy, a bounty hunter left alive from the most recent crime. They plan on moving Wade from Bisby to Contention where they will put Wade on a 3:10 train to Yuma. There is a dilemma, however, because there aren't enough men to escort Wade to Contention without the probability of losing him in an attack courtesy of Wade's gang. It is with Dan Evans' desire to prove himself to his children, and the promise of $200 for his services, that he decides to join the dangerous mission of bringing Wade to justice.

What follows is great drama, action, and even a bit of comedy. One of the better gun-scenes that I can remember serves as a worthwhile culmination of the film.

Eventually, Evans teaches his sons that when faced with situations that are sure to spell your doom, and when all others lack the courage and/or conviction to do what's right, that a man's actions, morals, and ethics are all that counts.

I highly recommend this film. May 5, 2008

 Great Movie
Two of my favorite actors in a not-so-favorite genre and I loved it. Now I just need to see the original. May 2, 2008

  Fabulous, but to fully understand it ya might have to see it twice
For those who dont understand the ending, maybe watch the film again, because to get this film you HAVE to pay attention to every word and to the Wade character.
[For those who havent seen the film, dont worry I'm not going to discuss the ending here]

I've seen the movie 4-5 times and I discovered something new each time I watched it. Especially about Ben Wade. This movie is a real treat, you get something new from it each time.

Rancher Dan Evans, a good man, but bad thing after bad thing is happening to him when we meet him. Even Mother Nature isnt cooperating.

I dont want to spoil too much about outlaw Ben Wade, but complex is a good word for him. And hide your wife.

The real villain of the movie is Charlie Prince. He is number 2 guy in Bens gang. A murdering machine,probably insane.

Let the games begin.. due to an event, Dan and Wade are put together and hit the trail along with a few others. Dan has to do this certain thing and he & his family will be rewarded. But this is no ordinary or easy trip. The 2 men are on a journey, there are surprises, revelations..they learn about each other.
And I really cant say more. But at this point of the film you have to pay close attention.

I wouldnt call this movie a western, its a drama. There are too many gray hats here to be your usual good guy[s] vs. bad guy[s] western.. and actually, THATS probably what makes this movie so very good,its fresh.

This movie is psychological, it plays with your mind.

And the action in this film is the psychological battle the two main characters are in.

Great job by director Mangold for there are no boring moments.

The acting is great, down to the actor who plays Dans son. I found R.Crowe mesmerizing. I think this is one of his best performances. And all you have to do is look at Christian Bale as Dan to see his character is suffering.

When the credits roll, youre thinking and thinking about it all.

Dont forget, pay close attention while watching the movie.





May 1, 2008

 Disappointed with this one!!
I like a good old fashion western, & this film had all the right elements to be that, the landscapes are beautiful at best, & the characters are well defined, well sort of, the problem I had here was whether or not to root for Russell Crowe's outlaw or Christian Bale's honest farmer, as this film went on I found it hard to like or dislike either man, & Peter Fonda's bounty hunter character was a good role for a seasoned actor like Fonda, but he doesn't seem to become the bounty hunter we know he really is, when Bale is hired to help escort Crowe to a train that will take him to stand trial, you can almost feel as if Crowe is not as bad as he should be, & Bale comes off as uptight, when Crowe sort of redeems himself at the end, you are left with confusion as to why he does what he does, wanted to like it, but found it difficult to like or dislike either character. May 1, 2008

 Great Acting
I could hardly wait to see "3:10 to Yuma". With all the high ratings it has received so far, I was really looking forward to seeing it. But I was disappointed after the first viewing. I had expected something different. But then after the second and third viewing I began to enjoy it. While watching the movie for the first time I expected to see a serious and realistic film. But realism is not what this is about. So what's it about? It's neither a drama due to the lack of realism nor is it a comedy, too many sad moments. Maybe it is best described as a Western movie with lots of action scenes that tries to convey some kind of moral.
The best of 3:10 to Yuma is definitely the brilliant performance of Russell Crowe. Without him in the leading role this movie wouldn't be as half as good. His character is nicely developed, just as the one of Christian Bale, who has the other leading role. This might sound strange when on the other hand a lot of the actions in this movie are not quite understandable. The reason for a few escaped me completely especially in the last twenty minutes. The viewer is left to his or her own guesses. Only in the end when Crow whistles to his horse at least some sense comes to the last scenes.
Although the story is highly unbelievable and in many parts strange, the dialogue is interesting and even now and then amusing.
Besides the great acting it's the well done cinematography, the beautiful scenery and the great sound track that make up for most of the flaws.
Of course there is a lot of shooting like in many Western movies. Sometimes it looks as if they were shooting blanks because nobody gets hit. Then on the other hand when someone gets hit there is of course the never missing Hollywood bullet fallacy - one shot drops and bodies flying through the air by the impact of the bullet. If a bullet had the power to nock down a man, the shooter would also be flying backwards. Simple physics. The scene I really got hung up on while watching the movie for the first time was when one of the "good" guys who was shot in the stomach gets treated by a vet who just pries out the bullet and a couple hours later this same guy is back in the saddle. Give me a break! That's ridiculous. But as I already said the whole story is not realistic. As long as you keep that in mind and concentrate on the good parts of the movie it will be very enjoyable to watch.
April 28, 2008

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