+ Best Train Movie of the Year + Best Western of the Year
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| Renée Zellweger's rotund figure seems to an object of disagreement between the two male stars on this poster for Ed Harris' Appaloosa |
Cole and Everett are two lawmen/peace-keepers. The town of Appaloosa hires them and gives them power to rid them of Bragg, the town's murderous tyrant. The situation is tense, when an intriguing dame by the name of Allie enters the town.
Great New Jerseyite co-writer/co-producer/director/co-star Ed Harris (Pollock (2000)) has made a shining, old-fashioned western that is as pure as snow in its genre: Appaloosa is a rock solid horse opera with real charm and a great, classic story. And that's not all he does here: That he handles so much behind the camera as well as his own lead part in the film as Marshall Cole is nothing short of inspirational.
Appaloosa is beautifully shot on real film in a simple, no-nonsense concept by cinematographer Dean Semler (Last Action Hero (1993)), and it sports a solid ensemble cast that also features Renée Zellweger (White Oleander (2002)), Viggo Mortensen (The Reflecting Skin (1990)), Lance Henriksen (Hollows Grove (2014)) and Jeremy Irons (Correspondence (2016)), all great, with Zellweger standing out as Allie, a woman battling the feelings caused by deprivation in her past.
Appaloosa has friendship and the decision to give all your love to another (flawed) person as themes. It takes great advantage of the rugged landscapes it was shot in, and it has a section in and around a train that is irresistible for any train-in-movies fan (such as me.) I reckon' that it's the best traditional American western since Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992).
Another added bonus is the fine score by Jeff Beal (He Was a Quiet Man (2007)) and the superb end credit song You'll Never Leave My Heart that features Harris singing!
Appaloosa is co-written by Harris and Robert Knott (Riverbend (1989), actor), adapting the same-titled 2005 novel by Robert B. Parker (Potshot (2001)). Harris proves with this his second effort as director-star that he is a hugely capable talent in both disciplines.
Related posts:
Ed Harris: Virginia/What's Wrong With Virginia? (2010) or, A Woman's Struggle (actor)
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
Cost: 20 mil. $
Box office: 27.6 mil. $
= Big flop (returned 1.38 times the cost)
[Appaloosa premiered 5 September (Toronto International Film Festival, Ontario) and runs 108 minutes. Shooting took place in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, including Austin, from October - November 2007. The film opened #28 to a 248k $ first weekend in 14 theaters. It peaked at #5, behind new release Beverly Hills Chihuahua, holdover hit Eagle Eye, new release Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and holdover hit Nights in Rodanthe, and in 1,290 theaters (different weeks), grossing 20.2 mil. $ (73.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 2.7 mil. $ (9.8 %) and France with 2.5 mil. $ (9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this review. Harris has not returned with as a director after the film, but returned as an actor in Once Fallen (2010). Mortensen returned in Good (2008), Zellweger in New in Town (2009), and Irons in The Pink Panther 2 (2009). Appaloosa is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Appaloosa?
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