I like westerns and I picked this movie up at a discount not sure what to expect. Duval puts in yet another marvelous performance and Thomas Hayden Church redeems himself after his positively crude and awful characterization in the film Sideways. In fact, Church was every bit as impressive and Duval and that's saying a lot. Anyone looking for a lot of action won't find it in this movie but this is a wonderful character study with gorgeous cinematography and terrific performances in every roll. A few words about the ending...
The film is antithetical to classic Hollywood story telling. Attractive and innocent young girls die and the hero (at least one of them) doesn't get the girl; yet, these results add to the enjoyability of the film reminding us that life often ends in disappointment even in America. The last frames offer a narrative of the future of the characters portrayed and from this one is lead to believe the story is based on real people. At the conclusion of the film however, there is a disclaimer that the movie is not based on any living person...I confess I was taken in by the rouse but I'm not complaining because it added to the poignancy of the ending. Americans are used to happy endings that when we encounter the bittersweet we often don't know how to respond. The ending of this movie unfolds slowly and deliberately giving us plenty of time to think about life's unfulfilled dreams and hopes.
The film is antithetical to classic Hollywood story telling. Attractive and innocent young girls die and the hero (at least one of them) doesn't get the girl; yet, these results add to the enjoyability of the film reminding us that life often ends in disappointment even in America. The last frames offer a narrative of the future of the characters portrayed and from this one is lead to believe the story is based on real people. At the conclusion of the film however, there is a disclaimer that the movie is not based on any living person...I confess I was taken in by the rouse but I'm not complaining because it added to the poignancy of the ending. Americans are used to happy endings that when we encounter the bittersweet we often don't know how to respond. The ending of this movie unfolds slowly and deliberately giving us plenty of time to think about life's unfulfilled dreams and hopes.