| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
B+ |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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|
| Direction: |
B |
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|
| Visuals: |
B+ |
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Subtle Character Study in the Wild West
by Ms.V (movies profile)
Oct 11, 2008
3
of
3 people found this review helpful
If loud, explosion-ridden movies are your thing, forget seeing Appaloosa; what is offered here will disappoint those who must have mindless, non-stop action in their cinema fare. That is not to say that this movie lacks action- it is there, swift and deadly- but what Appaloosa offers instead is a measured, quiet study of two men, their long relationship, and how it unexpectedly changes.
The movie's humor and conversation is quietly understated but effectively used to offer us insights into the characters of Everett and Virgil (Mortensen and Harris, respectively), and their deep understanding of each other, their inner motivations, and the life-changing decisions that each must make.
Appaloosa gets its effectiveness from the excellent acting of both Harris and Mortensen- Viggo Mortensen is especially good in his role as the quiet side-kick. Jeremy Iron's character as the bad-guy is more one dimensional and cliche', but he seemed to enjoy the role. Renee Zellweger's role is perhaps the most complex of the movie and she handles the role perfectly.
Overall, an excellent character study of some interesting folk back in the Old Wild West. |
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