Ed Harris isn’t a brilliant director by any stretch of the imagination but he is a reliable one. Not surprisingly, his film (as was his previous work Pollack) is very strong on the performances. He knows how to draw good work out of his fellow cast members. This is an obvious benefit from his expertise in acting. He is also very smart in his casting choices. In this case he matched Viggo Mortensen (who I don’t think is capable of giving a poor performance), Renée Zellweger and Jeremy Irons with roles that play to their talents. The script by Robert Knott and Ed Harris (a first writing credit for both actors) is based on the novel by Robert B. Parker. It is clear the two men were cautious to give the story room to develop and their actors plenty of material to handle. While the performances are fantastic, the script is the foundation for the successes in the production.

The story centers around a couple of guns for hire who are brought in to police a small Western town. The men Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett (Mortensen) are opposites that complement one another. Virgil is a stony eyed, simple minded law man. Everett is a laid back, literate man. The partners are confronted by two serious issues in their new town. First is Randall Bragg (Irons), a murderous rancher. The other is piano player Allison (Zellweger) who starts a rocky relationship with Virgil. The conflicts and tension between the characters is patiently built mostly through character development instead of cheap plot devices. While there are some dry moments, the film overall avoids falling into being a chat fest. Harris walks a delicate tightrope between being too heavy on the dialog and just being another gunfight Western. The fact that he avoids these traps is made even more impressive when one realizes that the film also avoids almost all Western cliche in the process. Even if you don’t like the film, you have to give credit that this was not lazily made. If nothing else, Harris is a very deliberate film maker and obviously works hard to get his results.




Related Reviews:
Ed Harris movies
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Gone Baby Gone (2007)


Other Critic’s Reviews:
Ill-Informed Gadfly
Christianity Today

Labels: Ed Harris, film, Jeremy Irons, movie review, Renee Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen, western

Labels: adaptation, Christopher Paolini, film, Jeremy Irons, movie trailer

What's better than a good Western? A good Western with some brains and style. This certainly looks like it fits that description. Ed Harris directs this adaptation of Robert B. Parker's book. He also stars, along with Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger and Jeremy Irons, in this story about a couple of hired guns (Harris and Mortensen) who come to the aid of a small Western town being run by a dictatorial rancher (Irons).

Looks good. Heck, this may be Viggo Mortensen's best film since Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. Yes, he was in it.

Screenwriter: Robert Knott and Ed Harris
Director: Ed Harris (Pollock)
Actors: Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises), Renee Zellweger (Cinderella Man), Jeremy Irons (Casanova), Ed Harris (The Abyss), and Lance Hendrickson (Aliens)

Labels: Ed Harris, film, Jeremy Irons, Lance Hendrickson, movie trailer, Renee Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen

Short Review: Political correctness turns Casanova into a simpering castrato.



This film wants to be a bawdy romp but ends up being a pandering and predicable bore. Despite this, the hook to the story is quite good. Famed lover, Casanova is driven to engage a young woman to save himself from condemnation resulting from his lustful ways. After getting engaged, he falls in real love with another young woman named Francesca and wants to dump his new fiance. Francesca's insecure brother is in love with the young woman Casanova has just engaged. The answer? Casanova must teach the insecure brother how to swoon Casanova’s fiance so Casanova can then chase after Francesca. This is a tight plot that could hold a fun story. Unfortunately, this film wanders around for the first act and seemingly stumbles into this clever situation. After acknowledging this delightful plot, it hurriedly moves to forgetting it brought it up in the first place. We are presented with an actual good story to have it brushed away like an annoying gnat. It is clear the film is so intent on being layered with meaning and full of twists and turns that it becomes a knot of plot complications that becomes impossible to untie.

I wanted to like this story, but it wouldn’t let me. The first act is very difficult to sit through with thanks to underdeveloped scenes and tone issues. On one hand, the film wants to have a message and to be taken seriously while on another it wants to be a ribald comedy. MAKE UP YOUR MIND! I say if you’re making a film about Casanova, go ribald and be fun. This film isn’t fun. There is the huge weight of The Inquisition dragging the piece down. Instead of making Casanova’s nemesis a snooty rival, angry father or nervous husband, the bad guy is Jeremy Irons as a sadistic, cruel Inquisitor. Instead of making Iron’s character a farcical, overblown cartoon, he’s a sneering and threatening figure. Against the lighter scenes and themes of the piece Irons and his minions are desperately out of place. The more Irons’ character gets involved in the piece the less fun and the less coherent the story grows.

Another important issue with this production is the abject hate it show for Catholics and The Catholic Church. Every member of the church is a liar, sexual deviant or sadistic, power mad villain. Iron’s character continuously admits that sin and/or heretical behavior is what he decides it is. The church is shown as a gaggle of vicious killers and antagonists. This is done to show that having social restrictions on personal behavior is evil and man made. This is the usual reason why filmmakers utilize Christians as bad guys. The church is the opposite of Casanova’s continual deviant rutting. However, the attention paid to make certain we understand that not only is the Catholic Church bad, but its members are bad as well, is disturbing. Members of Al-Quedia would find more even-handed treatment in film today. The filmmakers are so intent on overplaying this anti-Catholic hand that they spoil their own film. Is everyone in the Catholic Church a saint? No, of course not. This film would have you believe that everyone in the church is insincere and wicked.

This bloated production wastes the collective talents of a great cast. Heath Ledger is well placed as Casanova and appears to revel in the role. Supported by the likes of Oliver Platt as lard tycoon Paprizzio, Sienna Miller as the apple of Casanova’s eye, Francesca, and Lena Olin as Francesca’s plotting mother. Ledger and his nemesis Pucci overplayed by Jeremy Irons, have plenty of talent to play off of. As mentioned however, a droll script and inept direction can stifle all of the acting talent in the world. Each of these actors does well with what they are given but it is all for naught since the production leads nowhere in particular.

This film is forgettable because it was handled poorly. This should have been a big, fun film that toyed with the laughable side of human nature. Lust, jealousy and general human frailty should be mined for humor when possible. This film misses the mark, which is a shame because a good opportunity has been lost. Even after its release, this film begs for a full rewrite.


Related Reviews:
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The Brothers Grimm (2005)
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Other Critic's Reviews:
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The Chicago Tribune

Labels: film, Heath Ledger, Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, movie review, Sienna Miller