APPALOOSA

Director: Ed Harris

Stars: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall

Year: 2008

Rating: R

Actor Ed Harris worked overtime on this tale of the Old West - also serving as producer, co-writer, and director for this simple yet complex tale based on a novel by Robert B. Parker. He does all admirably, too, in a film that both captivates and entertains from beginning to end. I'm not normally too big on westerns, but this one was very well-made, and very authentic in look, feel, and texture - due in part to some terrific, Oscar-caliber performances.

Set in 1882 New Mexico, Harris stars as Virgil Cole, an expert at handling a gun who goes from town to town basically hiring himself out as a lawman. About a dozen years back he acquired a friend and partner in Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), and when the two men hit the small town of Appaloosa at the beginning of the film, they find out pretty quickly that there's work to be done.

Appaloosa has, in effect, fallen victim to local rancher Randall Bragg (a gravelly-voiced Jeremy Irons), who - along with his men - terrorize and steal from the town like a bunch of old-west bullies, taking what they want. Even the town's sheriff and two deputies have disappeared (the film opens with Bragg himself "dispatching with" all three men), and when Cole and Hitch arrive it doesn't take long for the town aldermen to basically turn Appaloosa over to their new Marshall Cole and his deputy, hoping they will stop Bragg's reign. As the new Marshall, Cole can pretty much set up his own laws - and do away with anyone who doesn't follow them, legally - and when he and Hitch shoot and kill three of Bragg's men who resist arrest, the lawmen open up a small war with the baddest bad-ass in town.

To further complicate matters, a young and attractive widow named Ally French (Zellweger) arrives in Appaloosa, taking an immediate shine to Cole even as Hitch shows obvious interest in her, as well. This minor event actually ends up being a major plot point in the film, even though the character of Mrs. French serves only to move the plot forward - this is, after all, a "man's movie" - and is actually given very little to do herself, overall. Further, Renee Zellweger is the only actor on board whose presence and performance (and accent) don't seem up to par with the rest of the actors, and her casting seems the one misfire in an otherwise rock-solid film.

Mrs. French's arrival appears to be setting up for possible conflict between Marshall Cole and his deputy - and, in fact, her character is the source of a few surprises that come along later in the film, complicating things for sure.

But the heart and soul of Appaloosa lies in a (mostly) low-key, understated performance by Ed Harris, who radiates masterful control and demands your attendance whenever on-screen, even when he has no lines to speak. Viggo Mortensen, as his eight-gauge-toting deputy and best friend, is easily just as strong - if not stronger, as by the end of the film I found myself liking Hitch even more than Cole. Mortensen, always a brilliant and commanding actor, brings a wonderful, complex humanity to Hitch; indeed, you start the story with him doing a voice-over narration of how he came to meet Virgil Cole, and from those first moments are with the guy, heart and soul, throughout the rest of the film.

Appaloosa is a strong, entertaining, and very realistic story of a pair of (at heart) good guys and good friends from the Old West, who ride the range righting wrongs. Well-directed, well-written, and with top-caliber performances, it's - as said earlier - a simple yet complex story, told well. Exactly what you'd expect in a well-made western, and Appaloosa won't disappoint. **** - Reel Awesome