User Reviews

Appaloosa is based on the 2005 novel of the same name written by Robert B. Parker. It's directed by Ed Harris, who also co-writes the story with Robert Knott. Harris also stars alongside Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, Jeremy Irons & Lance Henriksen. Music is by Jeff Beal and Dean Semler provides cinematography on location in Albuquerque, Austin and Santa Fe.

Appaloosa is in the grip of bully boy rancher Randall Bragg (Irons), who finally oversteps the mark when the latest Marshall and his deputies are killed in cold blood. The townsfolk decide enough is enough and hire no nonsense travelling lawmen Virgil Cole (Harris) and his sidekick Everett Hitch (Mortensen) to protect and serve the town. Ruling with a rod of iron, Cole & Hitch start to bring order to Appaloosa, but the arrival in town of pretty Allie French (Zellweger) causes quite a stir between the two men. Bad timing too since the guys are trying to get Bragg to his rightful execution.

In the modern era the Western has been the hardest genre for film makers to tackle. You can probably count on one hand the number of great or agreeable ones that have surfaced post Costner and Eastwood's efforts of 1990 and 1992 respectively. Enter Ed Harris, who undaunted by the long odds of getting a Western to be successful; and suffering worrying overtures from his backers at New Line Cinema, got Appaloosa made. Well made as it happens.

Since the story itself is etched like the Wyatt Earp legend, there's really no fresh perspective on offer here. In fact, anyone familiar with Edward Dmytryk's excellent Warlock from 1959 will feel some narrative déjà vu. But Appaloosa does have strong performances and lush landscapes to see it successfully home. Slotting in a good helping of action, romance and humour also goes some way to making Harris' movie a worthy modern day Oater. True, the cliche's are many, but Harris wasn't after revisionism, he wanted (and got) old fashioned Oater values. A film that follows those old beloved B movie Western conventions, but one that still retains a topical criminal thread.

The best reward in the film comes from spending time with Harris & Mortensen. Their characters are nicely drawn and not over cooked by the script. Cole & Hitch are devoted to each other, lots of straight love and respect exists between the two men. Their bond is believably brought to life by Harris & Mortensen, who formed a friendship when making A History Of Violence for David Cronenberg in 2005. Zellweger and Irons too are not without high merit value. She (stepping in when Diane Lane walked over delays), is pleasing and captivates in what is the critical glue role. While he is dandy dastardly supreme, a well spoken villain of much intelligence and crafty as a cat.

Appaloosa is a subtle film, both in story and as a technical production. Beal's score is unobtrusive, while Semler's photography manages to deliver that old fashioned feel that Harris was after (the low lighting for the interiors is particularly on the money) . Harris' direction is smooth and unhurried in pace, with the odd inspired bit thrown in for good measure (check out the up-tilt camera work during a train on a bridge sequence). While the production design can't be faulted. All that and you got the likes of Henriksen and Timothy Spall in the support cast too. A lovely film that is as tight as the friendship at its core. 7.5/10

One reviewer remarked how "Ed Harris understands (the) Western (genre)" I couldn't agree more. This film is a delight. The writing is solid, the dialog sparked with humor, the heroes are more than caricatures and cardboard cut-outs, the villains are worthy anti-heroes and the back-up is wonderful. The performances of Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons as the main protag-/antagonists are sterling. Harris is the lonely paladin, uncompromising in his ethic, drawn in by the warmth and softness of a needful woman, artfully and convincingly played by Renee Zellweger; Mortensen is the slightly jaded sidekick who both respects and doesn't completely understand his hero. A parallel villain is offered by Lance Henrikson, a kind of poor man's Clint Eastwood, giving an interesting twist to the story. Some comic relief is offered by veteran character actor, James Gammon and fine British actor Timothy Spall without reducing the tension in the story line or reverting to a burlesque. The mythic theme of the knight-errant works well in this presentation brought to light by the competent direction of Ed Harris. My only fear is that it being devoid of ballet-type ritual killings, CGI and only a mild spattering of violence, it will likely fly under the radar of much of today's theater goers, which is a shame. It's a fine film.

Many in Hollywood believe the western is dead, but every couple of years or so along comes a new western to breathe life into the old standbys: OPEN RANGE, 3:10 TO YUMA, and of course TV's DEADWOOD. APPALOOSA is such a film that follows a typical storyline as a couple of lawmen battle an outlaw gang in a small town.

It's the kind of story that's been done hundreds, if not thousands, of times. But the strength of APPALOOSA lies not in the plotting but the script, which is alive with warmth and humour. Harris plays a borderline maniac with a quick trigger finger, Mortensen his more reasoned companion who favours his brain over his heart. Both actors exude quiet menace and are quite brilliant in the parts.

Unfortunately there's a problem further down the cast list: namely Renee Zellweger as a love interest. I don't understand where Zellweger's popularity comes from, because I think she's awful, and nowhere more so than here. Still, the casting director makes up for it with a couple of meaty roles for veteran actors Jeremy Irons and Lance Henriksen.

Harris wrote the screenplay, produced and directed the film. His love shows in the finely-crafted screenplay and the expert direction, which invests the occasional action scene with flair and life. My only complaint with the story is the ending, which is a little muted. But that's APPALOOSA all over: it's a film about people living life in the West rather than a shoot-em-up flick. I liked it.

Appaloosa as a western is okay, as a movie its okay, but as a character study it's great. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen are two of the most underrated actors (not stars) in Hollywood. Viggo should have had two or three Oscars by now. His rendition of Everett Hitch made the whole movie more than worthwhile. He's a man of little words but great thought. He also an observant man, of things and people. He's loyal but with practicality. He knows what the two of them do and why they do it and he know enough about Virgil not to step on his toes. But he also knows when to say what he as to say and leave it at that. I'm never that impressed by Renee Zellweger but in this movie she sort of fit in. 7/10

On the immediate surface "Apaloosa" occurs as an old school Western grounded in the battle of good against evil. For the most part first time director/ writer Ed Harris's "Apaloosa" is the traditional tale of gunslingers hired to protect the town against the malevolent rancher, who terrorizes the town of Apaloosa. This slithery and wily Rancher is Randall Bragg, well played by Academy Award Winner Jeremy Irons. Irons is amazing. In the opening Bragg (Irons) kills the town Marshall and his deputies in cold blood. So there is no question surrounding Bragg's character. Harris and Viggo Mortensen play Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, who are lawmen for hire. The town of Apaloosa signs a contract with Virgil and Everett paying them to protect the town from Bragg. As part of the deal Apaloosa surrenders legal jurisdiction and autonomy to Cole and Hitch. This is pretty straight forward until femme fatale widow Allison French (Renee Zellwegger) arrives in town. Virgil takes a quick fancy to Allison, but her motives are vague and questionable at best. Will she threaten Virgil's partnership with Everett?

First off, I ultimately liked "Apaloosa", because Viggo Mortensen is awesome as Everett. Despite the movie's quirky idiosyncrasies, Mortensen commands the heroic presence as the sensible man of honor. Mortensen is the Western hero in the tradition of Clint Eastwood. As Everett, we always know where Mortensen stands, and he is both charismatic and cool. In a great scene a rival asks Everett about Virgil's gun prowess. Everett says plainly, "I haven't seen anyone as good as Virgil." Mortensen's Virgil salvages the movie's sense of honor.

As mentioned previously, "Apaloosa" is not really all that traditional just below the surface. And this is not necessarily a good thing. This is not the anti-hero masterpiece of Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven". In one sense, I think Harris would like it to be. For one thing although Harris's Virgil is brave and noble, he is an apparent partial nut job. He goes nonlinear on some hoods in a saloon, among other weird out bursts. Harris's Virgil is not an educated man, and clumsily forces his diction and stumbles through Emerson. Instead of coming off as charmingly eccentric, his Virgil occurs as a little weird. Renee Zellwegger is an amazing actress, but here she struggles to carry off pretty. Her character Allison also has the propensity to have sex with virtually any man with a pulse. Straight and narrow Virgil in love with psycho whore Allison is not the most conventional love story, nor is it the story's most endearing plot line. Again, this may be more artifact of the screenplay by Harris and Robert Knot based on Robert B. Parker's best selling novel.

In spite of its quirkiness and kind of nutty characters, Harris manages to reign in the movie as it concludes-- opting for the more heroic. There is a great scene before one the climatic showdowns where Allison asks Virgil and Everett, "Aren't either of you at all afraid?" Virgil says, "…I guess I don't think about that so much." Also in "Apaloosa" the action is not leveraged for the utmost drama. Director Harris's action sequences lack crispness—the gun fight blocking is mostly single shot, without any interesting angles. Aside from the last gun fight, most of the action is diluted of high drama. The action is well done, just not spectacular.

"Apaloosa" is an amalgamation of the traditional Western with the idiosyncratic melodrama of the new. The overall effect is compelling, and also makes you scratch your head. Viggo Mortensen's strong and charismatic performance as Everett Hitch eventually wins out, and makes "Apaloosa" worth watching.

There are always the men who live breathe violence and the women who hold their breath. Two famous ¨town tamer¨ named Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and Everett Stitch(Viggo Mortensen)come hired by the citizens (Timothy Spall, James Gammon) to rid a rancher ( Jeremy Irons), and his hoodlums (Lance Henriksen, among others). The villagers are suffering under the rule of the cruel Baronland. Virgil and Everett as lawmen are appointed deputies to bring peace and put some cartels warning that wearing of guns or other weapons in the little town is banned. Virgil meets a youngster widow named Allison (Renee Zellweger) and the problems emerge and complicate. But the town council afraid the raw methods carried out by the duo. Then the kingpin landowner appears and threats them.

This is a tremendously exciting story of a sheriffs-for-hire who had only one more killing to go. It begins as a slow-moving Western but follows to surprise us with interesting characters and solid plot. The tale is almost grim , a pacifiers come to a town just in time to make sure its citizenry but later the events get worse .Good modern Western with exciting battle of wits between obstinate marshals and an astute killer who begins to psych him out. Stylish, fast paced , nice performance, solid, meticulous and violent look with several shootouts .The highlights of the movie are the kidnapping and the climatic showdown at the ending. Phenomenal and great roles for Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen as veteran drifters and embittered gunfighters, they're the whole show. Vivid and lively musical score fitting rightly to action Western by Jeff Beal. Atmospheric and colorful cinematography by Dean Semler. The motion picture is stunningly directed by Ed Harris who is preparing its following, he also directed another good film titled ¨Pollock¨ . Watchable results for this outlandish Western.

Things I Liked About It: 1. The theme song is awesome. 2. The characters are fascinating. 3. The ending was great. Probably the most satisfying ending of a western I have seen.

Things I Didn't Like About It: 1. The pace is sometimes slow, or else what was going on wasn't interesting enough - one or the other. 2. F Bombs. There are a few (which is probably the main reason for the R rating) and the F-Bomb was not in common use during that era. I don't know why Hollywood insists on using it, when it wasn't part of the vocabulary of the era. It's not authentic.

Overall summary I would say that although Appaloosa started out slow, and was at certain places dull, the way it ended was so satisfying it was worth it. If they made a sequel of this movie that somehow focused on Everitt's character I would definitely watch it. He was the most the most interesting character of all.

Of recent times, the only Western movie that I liked was Kevin Costner's 'Open Range'. Now there's another one, 'Appaloosa' which is produced, written, directed and performed in by Ed Harris. The film pretty much has the ingredients of the 60s and 70s Western hits. It starts off a little slow but gradually picks up. 'Appaloosa' is more a comedy than an action but action movie lovers need not worry because there is plenty of that too, all 60's Western style. The dialogue is great and some of them are laugh out loud. The desert and mountainous visuals are stunning to look at. The two law-enforcement heroes, are brilliantly played by Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. Harris is totally hilarious yet we sympathize for him when he falls hopelessly in love with the promiscuous never-to-be-faithful Ali. Mortensen is more restrained, reminding one of Clint Eastwood at times, but equally effective. I initially thought Renee Zellweger was cast as the typical love interest but man was I wrong. Here she is cast against type and the actress is simply great as she deceptively uses those innocent sweet girl looks to mask her frivolity and promiscuity. Likewise, Jeremy Irons is an excellent villain with a touch of comedy. Lovers of Western cinema wold enjoy this. This is most of all Harris's achievement as he scores high on all counts. Hope he makes more movies.

In the old West, two men ride into a small town to establish some law and order. This is a leisurely paced Western and it's quite enjoyable for the most part, but sort of runs out of steam about two-thirds of the way through. It is mostly a character study, with much time spent on low-key exchanges between Harris and Mortensen as the two lawmen, with some of the scenes reminiscent of "My Darling Clementine." Not that it's anywhere close to being as good as that classic. Zellweger seems like a curious choice to play a woman who arrives in town and strikes up a romance with Harris. She just looks out of place in a Western. It's not a bad second effort for Harris behind the camera.

I saw Appaloosa last night. Absolutely fantastic. Whether it is because he is a bit older I don't know, but Ed Harris obviously actually understands westerns.

A straightforward western tale with very little revisionism, with real men doing "what men have to do". The sense of space, the wish to be part of civilization, the bad men resisting that encroachment, the sense of the mythic; it was all there.

A little bit more modern in approach than a classic 50's tale, particularly in how Renée Zellwegger's character developed, but a real story nevertheless; good guys, bad guys. Jeremy Irons is very good as the baddie. Timothy Spall is good comic relief and Ed Harris and Vigo Mortensen a terrific pair, carefully nurturing their relationship while understanding exactly what they have to do.

The pace was very good, allowing the story and character to develop properly. Even so, it could have and should have been shorter - John Ford, or more likely Anthony Mann would have got through this story in about 90 minutes, but very satisfying nevertheless.

Costner did a pretty good job on Open Range (that was really miles too long), 3:10 to Yuma was pathetic (why they bothered to remake it when the makers so totally misunderstood the thrust of the original I will never know).

But this was the real deal, or at least as near to the real deal as we are ever likely to get nowadays. Too bad it will disappear without a trace.

This is not your typical western. The characters are more developed and do a lot of talking versus gun slinging. But there are some gun fights along the way. Town officials of Appaloosa hire two gunmen, Cole and Hitch, to be the new sheriff in town. They want them to get rid of Randall Bragg, an outlaw that killed the previous sheriff. Widow, Allison French, shows up and you think there is going to be a love triangle, but there really wasn't much of one. She takes a liking to Cole, but also gives Hitch mixed singles. The two are able to arrest Bragg for murder and the latter part of the film is Bragg escaping and Cole finding him and trying to bring him in. In the end Bragg seems reformed. The side plot involving Allison is she seems to go after any man with power. So, before leaving town, Hitch does Cole one last favor since Cole says he won't leave Allison even if she fools around.

Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson gave the best acting performance. You'd think they did come from the old west. The film does move slowly at times.

FINAL VERDICT: If you like westerns, then I would say you will find this movie worth your time.

Films are made for us to escape to a new reality, whether that reality be complete fantasy, present day, the future, or in this case, the good old West. What we have here is a great western that looks and feels like a classic in the making, an old school western with an old school touch of directing (and acting) from Ed Harris. Appaloosa is very accessible in a film genre that isn't so accessible. It's a straightforward film that, despite that, never becomes predictable and formulaic. Harris's wonderful job on all fronts make Appaloosa one of the most complete films of the year. It's got it all, great writing, killer acting, and a great atmosphere that allows the viewer to get trapped in this old western world.

Set in 1882 New Mexico, Appaloosa follows the fate of the town of the same name, which has fallen into the control of a ruthless outlaw (Jeremy Irons), and the powers that be have hired new hands to take control of the situation (Harris and Viggo Mortensen). However, when a mysterious widow (Renee Zellweger) arrives in town, loyalties will be tested, friendships will be put on trial, and guns will be fired.

The strong point, as I've said, is Ed Harris, who pulls the quadruple threat of acting, directing, writing, and producing. Despite all the work he did on this film, he still manages to turn in an Oscar worthy performance as the steadfast and unwavering commander of the town. Harris is subtle, nuanced, and never out of control. He commands the screen every time he's on it, without yelling or doing anything too crazy. Viggo Mortensen's near silent performance is not short on talent either, as one of silent acting's kings continues to show incredible versatility (the guy is a fantasy king, Russian mobster, and now an old west Deputy Marshall). To complete the trifecta of greatness, Jeremy Irons is the only guy I can imagine in the role of the film's villain. His freezing stare, mixed with the icy cold voice he is most known for, makes him one of the most memorable villains of the year.

Renee Zellweger really didn't add anything to the movie, though her character wasn't too interesting, and just serves as a plot device. This is what keeps the film from getting that "10" from me. The rest of the supporting cast is really a non-issue, as the story really only revolves around a few characters.

What I enjoyed most about the film is that it really made me feel like I was out west...right down to the little details, such as sandstorms, the presence of Native Americans, small drawls from the actors (thankfully none besides Zellweger had a bad one), and the different kinds of horses & guns in the film. Harris keeps the film moving nicely, and there's only a few moments where I felt it dragged a bit. Like I've said, it's hard to find a real fault here...the film is just well done all around, from a production standpoint.

When all is said and done, I knew how I felt about this film the second the lights went on. I clapped and said, "that was great". Appaloosa is an old school western that has everything a fan of the genre could want...including a suspenseful and tense gunfight and crazy Native Americans on horses! It's definitely one of the most complete westerns and films I've seen this year, and should be in contention for a few awards come Oscar season.

I like Westerns. I am of an age where I remember when they dominated movies and TV as CSI shows do now. With so few being made, I almost always give them a look.

This is an Ed Harris project (starring, directed, adapted by) but the key character and best performance was given to and by Viggo Mortensen. The movie breaks no new Western ground (can there be?), but gives a sharp, well photographed focus of the old West. Buddies were buddies and had each others' back, baddies were baddies and justice was hired by townfolk living in fear. While Harris and Mortensen are not true white hats, they lean on the side of justice, and get paid pretty well for it. Jeremy Irons and crew run roughshod over Appalossa, kill city Marshals and are just no good. Will Justice prevail!?

But enter Renee Zellwinger in what looks like it's going to be the traditional "school marm" role. She sets a different chemistry in motion and Harris and Mortensen's lives are spun around. Here is the film's BIG FLAW!!! A grating, preening, unconvincing, painful, cupie doll, horror of a performance by Zellwinger almost kills the proceedings. Her scrunchy face, maddening giggle and coyness were like fingernails..........!

Whew! But the filming, dialogue, a few twists (gunfighting no longer includes a "quick draw") keep things interesting. A note about the dialogue and character relationships. The adapted book was by Robert B. Parker of "Spencer" (and later "Jesse Stone") fame. I felt a strong twinge of Spencer and Hawk in these character. That's not a bad thing.

Appaloosa is a great classic western tale of friendship, love, trust and politics in the Wild West. There is a good story in Appaloosa and it doesn't just involve fast lines and faster guns like most westerns. In fact, there is little gun-slinging at all and the few fight sequences are short and more realistic than you would find in your typical Hollywood film of late which may turn off some viewers. Fortunetly, this film is more about the characters and the journey that they take in knowing each other and themselves and who is trust worthy and who is not. The cast is great for the most part especially Viggo Mortensen as the silent but deadly comrade to Ed Harris's character. The interaction between these two alone makes the film worth watching. My only real disappointment with this film was the casting of Renee Zelweger as she is a terrible actress and bought nothing to this film except annoyance. I didn't care in the slightest for her character and there were many times I was hoping someone would shoot her and be done with all the trouble! Besides that factor, Appaloosa is a solid western and an enjoyable film that should be watched for the story - not the gun-slinging.

I went to the LA premiere of "Appaloosa" tonight. Before the screening an executive described the film to the audience as Ed Harris's vision and introduced Harris as the most obsessive filmmaker he has ever worked with. Thus, I thought Ed Harris was just being humble in telling the crowd, "we made the film for you to enjoy, so enjoy it."

The film is somewhat enjoyable. The scenery, sets and costumes are beautiful, the gunplay is fun and the dialogue is funny and even witty at times. Maybe this is what drew such great actors to do the movie.

Problem is that when I see Viggo Mortensen character in the movie, I think he would have been a great Doc Holliday. Both the characters and plot feel too familiar. I felt the plots of a Wyatt Earp tale, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and an Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot love triangle were incorporated into this film. Maybe elements of these plots are used here and weaved together somewhat differently, but it was still apparent to me.

One scene that is unique in the movie attempts to draw sympathy from the audience for Renée Zellweger's character, but there is no follow up. The motivations for her actions in the film are never explained. Frustrating.

I know why Ed Harris told me at the beginning to "...just enjoy..." and I will try not to hold won't hold anything against his movie. As I see it George Clooney and pals like to make heist movies for fun and I don't hold it against them. So why can't Harris, Mortensens, Irons and others make westerns for fun? Well, "Ocean's 11" was officially a re-make, paying homage to the rat pack, which was very enjoyable. They then copied the same formula twice, which weren't so good. So in comparison, Harris in making this movie has skipped the remake and given us "Butch Cassidy...2".

The story focuses on the relationship between Cole and Hitch, and what affect the (rather flighty) Mrs Fitch has on it. I actually quite liked this aspect of the plot; it gave the characters some realism, something that many westerns lack. All the performances from the main cast were excellent; in particular Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen, who takes the prize for the best beard and moustache combo I've seen in many a year! I wasn't too sure about Jeremy Irons as the bad guy at first, but he soon grew on me; as did Renée Zellweger as the femme fatale. Performances aside, I must warn you that at times it can be painfully slow, but I didn't particularly mind that. Over all, it did have a few quirks, but, for me, it worked. I would probably watch it again sometime and I have a feeling I'd enjoy it more second time around.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.8/10.

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

I love all of Robert B. Parker's novels and I have a lot of respect for the craft of Ed Harris. This movie was a very faithful rendering of the book. Harris didn't get in the way of the storytelling rather he gave it a strong visualization. As the novel as written, the story is actually told through the eyes of Everett Hitch, played here by Viggo Mortenson. I love the way, even though he is somewhat of a side-kick, he was allowed to remain the viewpoint character. My only complaint was Renee as Allie. Reading the book I visualized a Faye Dunaway at 35. Diane Lane would have been more in line with the way the character was written in the novel. Renne struck me as a little too coquettish and obviously needy rather than manipulative and needy. It's a matter of taste but I would have preferred it. However, the rest of the casting was spot on and I hope Harris considers doing the sequel, "Resolution."

Appaloosa is a really interesting, really engaging western, a part redemptive text; part love story; part homo-erotic tale, about two men whom come together after a one-time brash bout of masculinity and party up to take on the world, and part causality driven chase flick. The film, directed by one of its stars in Ed Harris, focuses on the two leads and their relationship which very gradually comes apart in a mature and methodical manner, an event of which happens out of the involvement with a woman in a town from which the film garners its title. Appaloosa is a wondrous snapshot of the lives and times of various people becoming unstuck in relation to their old ways, as well as the usual manners in which attitudes towards life are embedded; a fascinating character study with rich attention to supporting acts whom come to affect the protagonists. It is quite the absorbing western.

The piece is narrated to us from the future by a certain wondering gun slinger named Everett Hitch, played by Viggo Mortensen. His tones are dry and hushed, even rueful. He speaks of his friend Virgil Cole (Harris), another free spirited gentleman whom he aided in dealing with a bar room brawl some years ago and has since been travelling with ever since; flitting from place to place and helping out where necessary. Their journeying is accompanied by long shots of dry scenery as well as expansive hills and mountains; the current state of play established, the order of their lives and what exactly their lives entail got across, and this is all before they stumble across the town of Appaloosa: a locale in which these two men's lives will greatly change. Appaloosa is the sort of film that relies on its great levels of drama in a reaction or a singular expression, Hitch's gazing at both Cole and French whilst overlooking an inmate in a jail house is telling; his reaction to the news they are later to move into a house that's being constructed particularly telling. To be sure, there is action and reaction involving conflict and a stone-wall villain in Bragg but the film is effectively about what happens to Cole and Hitch in this titular town of Appaloosa; the fear of loosing more than a dear friend, a partner, to somebody else and the fear of facing the big, wide, aggressive world of the Wild West alone with heavy envy hanging over you.

The town of Appaloosa exists in a grip of terror instigated by outlaw Randall Bragg (Irons, complete with wavering accent); a rough, ready and sadistic man with an equally rough, ready and sadistic posse of men whom follow him. The lawmen running this town are shot and killed very early on, the attitude towards law enforcement effectively put across and all Hell threatens to break loose therein. Cole and Hitch arrive, the town's officials more than eager to hire them in dealing with the issue: even if it means handing over more power than is desired; with the two men wasting little time in sorting out two of Bragg's cohorts that cross them. Later on, Cole will clash with Bragg in profile as they sit opposite one another in a local café in an uneasy truce; back up for both sides also occupying the room and a real sense of conflict apparent. Running parallel to this strand is another involving Renée Zellweger's character, a recently widowed woman named Allison French whom Cole strikes up a fondness for, and it is here the trouble for Hitch really begins.

The film is first and foremost Mortensen's with what's principally at stake the threat of being alone and not at one with the man any longer, looming. The plot involving Bragg and that feud, which later comes to cover the extradition plus trek all over the dangerous rural plains of nowhere, amply supports what is a story about a man having to come to terms with change. Much is spoken about Cole's past instances with other women and the life of love he led, namely, that he has sparsely even known another woman and relationships are alien to him. We get the feeling Cole and Hitch have been doing what they do, with both persistent and routine occurrence as well as calculated efficiency, for a good while through the exact manner in which they appear to tackle the problem of Bragg and his thugs. Later, we are weary of how the two of them stumble in their speaking to one another about Allison; pauses and beats in the conversation when she's mentioned to have asked after Cole that lead to more heated discussions. Up to this point, and we assure ourselves further back in time, easy back-and-fourths as well as the falling back into the proverbial arms of one another was the norm; one scene highlighting the characteristics of aid and honour Hitch has for Cole evident in the sequence he cools a situation down following Cole's drunkard picking of a fight. Cole himself even I.D.'s Hitch as being a man whom "completes my sentences for me" and that intense affair they have with one another feels both prominent before it is threatened.

Eagle eyed viewers will notice the casting, that of which is directly comparable to Cronenberg's 2005 film A History of Violence; Appaloosa the film maybe resembling what Mortensen and Harris' characters from said film might've been like in their working together prior to their falling out if their overall morals were of polar opposites to what they are here. It's to the film's great credit we recall such an incidence just the once, feverishly resisting the temptation to hark back and long for what the viewer may perceive as a better film covering more interesting ground with corresponding casting decisions. Even sharper viewers will spot the thematic and narrative resemblances to Edward Dmytryk's 1959 film Warlock, and while this isn't as good, it more than suffices.

I suppose this film is as vulnerable to deep analysis as the next one, but, why bother? This is entertainment the way I like it, straight up without a lot of foolish over the top action. The real west must have been fraught with similar dilemmas as that confronting the town of Appaloosa: What to do with a lawless band of men determined to live as they please by preying on timid town dwellers? I doubt there were many men like Virgil Cole or his partner Everett Hitch in the real west having lived among their great, great grandchildren (I've no idea what the real genealogy is) for a time, but men have often tried to live like they do with the result that they lived undeservedly short lives. Still, guys like me can't get enough of their stories and Ed Harris apparently feels the same way. Only Clint Eastwood in my memory has attempted to tap into this same wellspring of folklore as in The Unforgiven. Though we all love Clint, I'd have to say Ed outdoes him here. He's got a wonderful sense of what a real gunfight might have been like. And though he's trimmed off the cries of pain and the gore, it still has the ring of truth.

Wow. Just wow. That was both really good and kinda confusing at the same time. Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger and jeremy Irons. What an all-star cast. Dang. Definitely will watch it again. 74/100. A little heavy on the profanity for me, but really good overall. Interesting plot fs.

I saw this with 2 friends in the theatre, and we were all disappointed. One cliché after another, terrible dialogue, too long. Definitely a vanity project for Harris. I stayed to the very end to see who was singing the song for closing credits (Tom Petty) and then I hear another song with a familiar voice - it's Ed Harris! I knew it was him before I saw the credits! He can't sing. If that isn't a sure sign of a VP I don't know what is.

Terrible dialogue "I've known you a long time...as long as you've known me..." was actually repeated twice!

There was one good line, after a good "shoot 'em up" Everett says something like "that happened fast" to which Virgil replies, "that's cause everybody could shoot."

I agree with most of the other comments- it kind of went off the rails when Zellweger came into the picture.

Might be okay at home on DVD. 3:10 to Yuma was better.