3:10 to Yuma
(2008)Small-time family man and rancher, Dan Evans (Christian Bale), agrees to hold a captured outlaw (big bad Russell Crowe) who is awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. Desperate for the money, Dan is putting his life on the line - threatened with his life by the outlaw’s gang. A psychological battle begins when the criminal offers financial reward and safety if Evans releases him.
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Directed by James Mangold
Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Gretchen Mol, Alan Tudyk, Peter Fonda
Written by Halstead Welles, Michael Brandt
Flicks Review
BY Andrew Hedley Flicks Writer
Leaving aside any postmodern twists, Yuma returns to the classic wild frontier, before the railroad brought order, when the dusty plains were roamed by lawless men and justice was served by a bullet to the head. Every ingredient is here: the buxom barmaid in the saloon; a woman slowly sweeping her porch; a stagecoach hijacking. For fans of the genre, this film has it all.
Take the fantastic climactic shootout, for example. The sound design is deeply layered and gives the impression that bullets are whizzing past from every direction. As Evans and Wade scuttle from hiding place to hiding place, wood splinters and clumps of dry earth go flying. It’s gun-slinging adventure in the classic sense.
Both Bale and Crowe give decent performances, but stealing the show is Wade’s second in command, Charlie, played with gleeful menace by terrific newcomer Ben Foster. Next to him the other supporting characters seem bland; mostly due to some fairly perfunctory dialogue. Peter Fonda’s crazy old timer, in particular, suffers from this. And Dan’s straight-shooting son comes across as a dullard with an inexplicably staunch moral conscience.
Letting the film down to some extent is the laissez-faire approach to character morality, and an inability to convince the audience of the believability of the characters’ choices. Russell Crowe gives his villain a roguish affability, but the ending (without spoiling anything) still doesn’t ring true.
Technically and visually, 3:10 to Yuma proves to be one of the better mainstream releases this year to date. But unlike the true western, which was characterized more by a poetic moral examination than by horses and guns, the film remains too ordinary to be a truly memorable reinvigoration of the genre.
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3:10 to Yuma
BY munchkin superstar
What a dam good old fashioned western with such a great story Bale is great and Crowe is a stand out you really get involved in this one
Crowe gives one of his better performances of late, and succeeds in drawing us in with his role as the villain with a soft side. Bale again is upstaged by his peer, but still holds his own taking on yet another class role to add onto his already flawless resume. Ben Foster somewhat lacks the added punch provided by his superiors as the no remorse hothead.
Mangold directs a hip new take on a classic and westerns of old, fast packed and the scenery and cinematography both very alluring.
The Press Reviews
88%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma restores the wounded heart of the Western and rescues it from the morass of pointless violence... Full Review
3:10 to Yuma is a stylish remake of a 50-year-old cowboy film, making this a murderously modern, yet satisfyingly old-fashioned, western. Full Review
Mangold has time to build sensational, studied characterizations, brilliant pacing (courtesy Mike McCuster, who also edited the director’s previous effort, the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line”), and blistering action... Full Review
A largely compelling ride on the strength of a powerful cast led by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale... Full Review
Remake of a classic is packed with action and good performances but lacks subtlety and nuance. Full Review
In the battle of the leading men, Crowe's character has a slight edge, and the actor really makes the most of it, showing us how boyishly mischievous charm and utter venality can exist without seeming contradiction in the same being. But Bale builds to a pretty impressive boil himself after laying back for about three quarters of the film... Full Review
This isn't Sergio Leone but was a far better watch than I had expected, and I left the cinema feeling quite replete. Full Review
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