By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Gavin Lewis | Potsy Ponciroli | Scott Haze | Stephen Dorff | Tim Blake Nelson | Trace Adkins
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 99
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12731980/reference
Thom says: “Is anything more fun than a huge surprise? While beloved Tim Blake Nelson is must-see, he’s in a lot of mediocre material. Moreover, this was a Western, one of my least favourite genres. To make matters worse, director Ponciroli has helmed nothing of note. So, my low expectations were intriguingly altered to a rave. Tim Blake Nelson plays Henry a taciturn, widower farmer who is raising his teen (of course, on the verge of ‘manhood’) son Wyatt. He lives in a very remote location and one day comes across a half-dead man on his acreage & a satchel fully stuffed with money. He takes him in and nurses him slowly back to health. Soon on the scene is a small posse looking for what they claim is a wanton bank robber. Henry must decide who to trust and his disclaimers start a long siege that has any number of startling twists & turns, not the least of which is Henry’s transformation from an obsequious character who bullies Wyatt to a man of high quality, with a questionable past. The story moves along with a very focused script, that despite its limited set design, creates a complex, fascinating read. Warning: a large amount of almost Hong Kong-style gunfights. Nelson nails his rich role & the rest of the cast are perfectly assembled. Gavin Lewis makes an impression as Wyatt. Dorff, always an addition to a cast, as Ketchum, head of the posse, is memorable. Of special note (maybe not that special) is that the entire cast is male. 4.5 cats“