Review of Appaloosa (2008) by Chance M — 27 Feb 2010

Appaloosa's strengths subsequently lie in the depth and range of its two lead protagonists. Harris is stolid, while Mortensen acquits himself nicely with richness and astuteness. Irons with his mangled accent is hardly intimidating, while Zelleweger appears often distracted and confused with the nature of her role. She neither wholly embodies the seductive nor the perfidious qualities of her scheming femme. By the film's closing scenes, one wonders what either man saw in her, especially since the town's attentive prostitute (Adriana Gil) is far more intriguing on both an emotional and social level.

One also questions by the film's denouement what drew Harris to such a project in the first place. Given the array of narrative twists and threads available to Harris, there is the existence of an effective story in the material. Yet, despite the possibilities at his disposal, Harris who also co-wrote and co-produced the film appears to have been unable to pinpoint a fitting vehicle for his inquiries into camaraderie. Ergo, Appaloosa is a messy film buttressed by equally equivocal performances and presumptions about its content. Sadly with Appaloosa, the welcomed revivification of the Western has suffered its first major misfire.