Movie Review: Appaloosa

Last year's "3:10 to Yuma" did more than its part in helping to rejuvenate the western genre in Hollywood. Ed Harris hopes to continue the resurgence of the western with his latest film, "Appaloosa." Harris directs and stars in "Appaloosa," a film about two vigilantes who travel from town to town, restoring order by any means necessary. They are hired by the sheriff of Appaloosa after Randall Bragg, played by Jeremy Irons, kills their current City Marshal and his two deputies. Bragg and his cohorts take over the town, doing as they please with no respect for the law. After all, why obey the law when the lawmakers are terrified of you?

So the town calls on Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, played by Harris and Viggo Mortenson. Cole and Hitch agree to help them take back over the town, as well as subdue Bragg and his men. They two men come at a hefty, though. The sheriff must sign the town over to Cole; basically making whatever Cole says is the law, the law. Cole and Hitch then go about cleaning up the town, starting with two of Bragg's men, who seem to find it necessary to urinate on the floor of the bar. Once Bragg sees that he and his men can no longer do as they please, he has a meeting with Cole and Everett.



Cole: There's a set of bi-laws posted right outside the door here of this very saloon. Your boys do like they say, and everything will be muy bueno.

Bragg: And if they don't?

Cole: I arrest them.

Bragg: And if they don't go along?

Cole: Then I shoot them…or Mr. Hitch shoots them. That's the law.

Bragg: Your law.

Cole: Same thing.



A rather simple arrangement is complicated by the arrival of Allison French, played by Renee Zellweger. Allison immediately falls for Cole, and their relationship appears to cloud Cole's judgment. Cole must now juggle his questionable relationship with Allison, while trying to stay focused on arresting, or killing, Bragg and his men.

The main thing that keeps this film afloat is the fantastic performances by Harris and Mortenson. Their chemistry is great, and both men fully get into the roles, appearing as if they've been working together (in the movie, and in movies) for many years. Cole has many moments in which he can't seem to find the right word; and Hitch is right there to help him out in that "we finish each other's sentences" sort of way.

This film has all the makings of a spectacular western, but suffers from a few fatal flaws that make it difficult to fully recommend. For starters, the plot is extremely thin and the story suffers from a lack of depth. It's a very basic film, and you keep feeling as if it's about to incorporate some new and creative aspect or twist, but it just never seems to get there. After it's over, it leaves you with a "That's it?" sort of feeling.

The film also suffers from a lack of background information. It opens with Bragg killing Appaloosa's City Marshal, and then all of a sudden, the entire town is terrified of him. Was the City Marshall the only tough guy in town? Why was Bragg so intimidating that the sheriff was willing to sign the town over to Cole at the drop of a hat? Bragg may have come off as a more frightening character had we seen more than one instance of him displaying his wrath. Also, Allison appears out of nowhere. Her presence appears to be nothing more than a tool to help move along the plot. Allison and Cole immediately being seeing each other, without even as much as a brief wooing phase. Zellweger's performance and presence lend very little to the film. Finally, Jeremy Irons performance, while good, seemed to come directly out of the Daniel Day-Lewis playbook. Bragg seemed to be nothing more than a carbon copy of Day-Lewis' character Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood," minus the genuine creepiness.

"Appaloosa" is a good film, definitely worth renting. However, if this is the direction Hollywood plans on taking the western, it may be a long time before we get another "Unforgiven."