Review of Appaloosa (2008) by Sophie G — 22 Oct 2010

I'm not exactly a fan of Westerns, but this one certainly caught my eye. Ed Harris stars in the role he was born for as new town Marshall Virgil Cole, whose word is law. Viggo Mortensen is his faithful deputy Everret Hitch. Both are gunmen of exceptional talent who have been hired to bring the criminals of Appaloosa back into line. Renee Zellwegger features as the meddlesome woman who disrupts a well-planned job with her good looks and charm, and Jeremy Irons plays the consummate bad guy.

It catches and holds your attention from the outset. Appaloosa features a well-written script with intriguing characters and just the right amount of action to keep you interested. The sound track is appropriate, setting the mood and also making good use of the brooding slience. There is language and violence, but nothing outside what you'd expect in the normal 'western' paradigm.

I enjoyed this one. The all-star cast use their exceptional talent to tell a fine tale. My only problem was the ending, which was a little disappointing and a bit of a let down compared to the rest. Still, overall it's well worth the watch.