Review of Appaloosa (2008) by Jeff B — 23 Aug 2010

Soft spoken and simple, but far from soft and simpleminded, Ed Harris's gunman ends up to be one helluva interesting character. As director, Harris turns his attention from post-modern painter Jackson Pollock to a fictional lawman who also works off of an unconventional canvas. At first, it seems to be a color-by-numbers exercise...but that is Appaloosa's unique beauty. It takes a winningly revisionist turn, coloring outside the lines and shooting out the boring legs of convention. Despite its sometimes sluggish pace, this film is a worthy follow-up to Harris' debut with Pollock.

In this R-rated western, two gunmen (Mortensen, Harris) arrive in a dusty town to find its marshal dead and its citizens under siege by a ruthless renegade rancher (Jeremy Irons).

As actor and director, Harris brings a great efficiency to this surprisingly fresh western. What begins as a rather routine tale of the West (obligatory romance, show-stopping shootout) quickly reveals itself as a sharp character study, turning the genre on its head. Filmgoers will get caught up with the conventionality of the first act only to have the rug pulled out from under them. Even with the assured craftsmanship of its helmer, it begins to feel like a sprawling epic. Still, most everything - from the performances to the violence - is handled with a taut precision that makes the ending all the more rewarding.

Bottom line: Giddy up.