Crazy Heart (2009)
VERDICT:
7/10 Good Ol’ Boys
It’s The Wrestler with country music. That’s what they call a double-edged sword.
Crazy Heart is about an aging country singer/songwriter trying to reclaim the spotlight before his booze addiction gets the better of him and ruins not only his career, but the only good thing he’s got going – a suspect relationship with a much younger music reporter.
I guess the best place to start is the whole Wrestler comparison. As far as the story arc is concerned, the two movies practically mirror each other. It starts out with the endearing has-been trying to recapture his former glory, he falls for a single mother who is oddly attracted to the said has-been, things start to look good, things hit the skids due to health problems, the has-been tries to make it all better in one last hurrah, the rest is history. If you’ve never seen The Wrestler, you’ve got nothing to worry about and you’ll probably like this movie more for it. But for those of you who have seen The Wrestler, this is pretty familiar territory we’re dealing with, and, unfortunately, The Wrester did it better.
Still a pretty decent story, but the story’s not the selling point here. The selling point, dear readers, is my man Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake.
What Mickey Rourke was to “The Ram“, Jeff Bridges follows suit as Bad. I’ve always been a huge Bridges fan (can’t wait for Tron Legacy) and it’s great to see him get a big leading role like this that finally allows him to flaunt his skills. In a nutshell, Bad is a badass, and it doesn’t hurt that his name is “Bad” either. He’s old country all the way, none of that pretty boy Keith Urban or glorified hillbilly, boot-in-your-ass Toby Keith bullshit, he’s the real deal. He’s Kris Kristofferson (visual similarity maybe?) and Johnny Cash rolled into one, he drinks like it’s going out of style, and for all his flaws, he is cool as hell.
I think a lot of what makes Bridges so good here is that Bad’s character really suits Bridges’ effortlessly natural sensibilities as an actor. That’s what made him so good as The Dude; it was like he wasn’t even trying, he just was The Dude. Bridges is a likable guy in that regard and without it I think Bad would have been a far less interesting individual to place at the forefront of a movie. It’s one of the better roles he’s had the chance to play in a good while and if it weren’t for Colin Firth, he’d be my vote for Best Actor this year.
And being someone who utterly hates country music – exceptions for Cash and Hank Williams, of course – the music here is awfully damn good and instantly had me tapping my foot on the theater floor. With that being said, the soundtrack by T-Bone Burnett (the guy behind the O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack) is definitely the other selling point here and I’d be surprised if it didn’t get the credit it deserves.
But alas, there’s still the whole issue of Bad’s relationship with Maggie Gyllenhaal. I know it’s a movie, but come on, look at those two, it’s like a Maury episode. She’s pretty good in the role, it’s just hard to suspend your disbelief with the glaring age gap staring you in the face along with Bad’s insistence on destroying his body with bottle after bottle of whiskey which really isn’t doing any favors for his physical appearance either. And while I’m sure there are women out there who probably think Kris Kristofferson makes Tom Brady look like a homeless meth freak, I’m thinking those women are few and far between.
There’s also a really good cameo by Robert Duvall as Bad’s long-time friend and another far more confusing cameo by Colin Farrell as Bad’s former protege’. Duvall can do no wrong, but I don’t know who the hell drew a connection between Colin Farrell and country music. It’s not that he’s bad in the role, he’s actually A-okay and he’s got a good voice to boot, just a strange casting choice is all.
But hey, it’s still a pretty good movie. Bridges is great to watch as always and he makes the movie better than it probably should be. Not something you need to run out to see in theaters and it’s no Walk the Line, but even if you’re not into country music, there’s enough to good stuff going on here to warrant a solid 7.
Tron Legacy, gonna be so awesome.
The Brothers McMullen (1995)
VERDICT:
8/10 Man Talks
Caters more to the fellas, but a pretty fantastic debut effort all the same.
The Brothers McMullen is about three Irish Catholic brothers living under the same roof in Long Island as they work to sort out their insecurities when it comes to the women in their lives or the lack thereof. One of ’em is cheating on his perfect wife, the other is stuck in a relationship with a woman he doesn’t love, and the youngest of the bunch thinks this whole “relationship” thing is a heap’a bullshit. So, yeah, these guys have some room to grow.
I almost forgot about this movie until I recently saw a freakin’ Geico commercial of all things featuring Mike McGlone – the middle brother McMullen – comparing auto insurance to Elmer Fudd’s lisp. Being that the apple has apparently fallen quite far from the tree for Mikey boy, it occurred to me that it was high time to revisit a period in his life that didn’t involve him upstaging a talking gecko for cash.
For those who’ve never heard of this fine little nugget of indie gold, The Brothers McMullen is the brainchild of one Edward Burns. The dude wrote it, directed it, funded it, produced it, starred in it, made love to it, the whole shebang. This is his baby, all complaints can be directed at him, and, not surprisingly, it’s what put him on the map.
In a nutshell, this is a talking heads movie, but that’s cool because I happen to have a weakness for talking heads movies. What sets it apart though – aside from Ed’s short-lived grunge look – is the writing and the way it unabashedly captures the way guys talk, the things they talk about when the lady-folk aren’t around and the things that goes through a guy’s head when he’s thinking with his pecker. Can’t think of a whole lot of movies that do it as well, maybe In The Company of Men, but that’s a whole ‘nother monster that doesn’t reflect the tone of this movie whatsoever. It has a penchant to get pretty crass at times and, depending on the crowd, it might not be doing any favors for the fellas in the room, but there’s something very endearing, very refreshing about how upfront it is.
The thing is, it’s not often I come across movies that have something honest to say about an everyday subject like love and commitment. Take a movie like The Ugly Truth for instance. Granted, I didn’t see it, but the word on the street is that it bombed like a mofo in trying to achieve this task. “Men are pigs” – got it. Thanks a bunch, Kath and Geri.
The Brothers McMullen on the other hand nails it because it’s got credibility. It’s about believable individuals with believable flaws that are stuck in relatable circumstances. It ain’t pretty, but that’s life, and that’s why it works. Everyone’s got their own thing going on but it’s great to watch them all come around and gradually realize what’s up. Nor does it hurt that it’s damn funny from start to finish.
But aside from the script, the direction is pretty straightforward and the acting’s not too shabby all around – the standout being Burns (big surprise). Another big reason this one got an 8 is ’cause I can’t help but dig a well-written movie that’s built from the ground up by an obviously talented guy with a lot of passion for what he’s doing.
Nonetheless, still can’t outright recommend it because I’m pretty sure this could be a bit male chauvinistic for some, but heed my advice and take this one with a grain of salt all the same. Trust me, gals, male chauvinism doesn’t make us look good, either.
Great characters, a great script all around and the best speech comparing a banana to your manhood that I’ve ever heard makes for a fine two hours that I’ve found myself revisiting more than once. Man, someone needs to give Ed Burns more roles. Dude is cool as hell.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
VERDICT:
9/10 Balancing Acts
One of my all-time favorite superhero movies and the best of the series.
Spider-Man 2 picks up with our guy Peter Parker as he tries to win back M.J., ace his college courses, and not get kicked out of his apartment all the while protecting the city from its latest foe, Dr. Otto Octavius, his four metal arms and his sinister trench coat. Dude’s got a lot on his plate, but it comes with the territory. I think there’s a lesson to be learned here.
I’ve actually found myself pretty surprised with the reactions I get from others when I sing this movie’s praises, a good deal of which can more or less be boiled down to one word: “corny”. Further questioning inevitably reveals this opinion to be grounded in the scene where the train passengers carry Spidey over their heads after he saves their lives, and while I didn’t have a problem with it, to each his own.
But that’s why I have movie blog, because I think this movie kicked ass!
Granted, the guy sitting next to me when I saw this in the theater gave me some of his Starburst – which was about the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me in a movie theater – but I’ve seen it a couple times since and it’s still great.
I think a big reason I dug this movie so much was because it felt mature without being overly-serious. The script really taps into the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” mumbo jumbo far better than the first movie – or the third movie for that matter – does, and that’s what brings it all together. It brings in the heart, it’s got a ton of quality character development, it is a freakin’ rush to sit through – absolutely love that scene in the operating room with Doc Ock at the beginning – and unlike a lot of superhero movies, it makes you care.
This is the movie where you finally get it, that life is freakin’ tough as a superhero, especially a broke-ass superhero. It’s not just a by-the-books trip like the first run-around was, it’s more than “good-guy-beats-the-bad-guy-and-gets-the-girl”, it’s about as complicated as real life and then some without being melodramatic. Spidey 2 is as much about how hard it is to be normal as it is to save the world, and you don’t get that a lot from superheroes.
And say what you will about Tobey Maguire, but I really like the kid. He’s a solid actor to begin with and he was a great pick for Parker. It’s just that he makes Spidey endearing without even trying, I think it’s the smile. No, he’s not as cool or snarky as he is in the comics, but couldn’t help but like him all along.
Still not big on Kirsten Dunst, but whatever, she doesn’t really take anything away from it. Alfred Molina’s not bad as Doc Ock, either, but let’s not kid ourselves, he’s no Willem Dafoe. Although Doc Ock is a way better villain than Green Goblin. Awesome special effects right there.
So, the reason I wrote this review should be pretty clear now that the whole series is getting a complete overhaul, and an unnecessary one at that. Yeah, Spidey 3 wasn’t so hot, Spidey 1 was fine, but the fact of the matter is that Sam Raimi is the man and there really wasn’t anything that wrong with the way he was running things that they had to scrap the series entirely. But who knows, this could be a good thing, could be the nudge Raimi needs to keep up with horror or even venture into something like A Simple Plan again (awesome movie). If anything else, I don’t think we’re ever gonna have to see Topher Grace return as Venom (who the eff thought that was a good idea?)
Man, there aren’t a whole lot of movies that make me want to get up and cheer when the final credits roll, but this was one of ’em. Spider-Man 2 is just an atypically well done blast of movie that set a new plateau for a genre that can tend to be a total joke. Was never much of a Spidey fan before this came around – comics or otherwise – but I’m now glad to be part of the choir.
I’m having trouble getting an idea of what the general reaction is this whole development, but I’m pretty bummed out. A serious lack of love for the Raimi at the moment.
First Conan, now this. Tisk, tisk, Hollywood.
“You like me! You really like me!”
So here’s some utter madness for all you chickadees.
Turns out I’ve been nominated for the ultimate award in blogging badassery – The Kreativ Blogger Award – by my peers over at Anomalous Material, M. Carter @ The Movies and Foolish Blatherings. I can’t begin to express how truly flattered I am to be acknowledged like this, especially by such fine writers and critics that all truly deserve the nods they got in the first place. If you’ve never visited their sites, do so pronto, great stuff all around; always look forward to their posts and comments.
And just look at this cute little graphic I get to post now!
A thing of beauty if you ask me, think I might get a tattoo of it…on my face.
But in all seriousness, this is very cool and I was not expecting this, not in the least. Must be doing something right.
So now for the gushy stuff. Being a nominee, there’s a bit of a catch where I have to get down and dirty with the following seven steps. Happens to be one of the easier catches I’ve come across in my life, so without further ado, let’s get to it.
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (done and done, you guys rock)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (…or face, whatever)
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (you guys rock double-time)
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.
Alright. Task Number 4:
Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting (pretty sure I already did one of these way back when on Facebook, but what the hell, I’ll give it another go)
- The only reason I ever got so into movies is because whenever I would go to visit my uncles as a kid, there would only be two topics of conversation: baseball and movies. It didn’t take long for me to realize that baseball is boring as sin to watch on TV for one game let alone a whole season (even though it’s awesome to actually go to a game or play it yourself), so I turned to movies and I haven’t turned back since.
- My good buddy Fred – the one I refer to in many a review – that’s actually my girlfriend and number one fan, Audrey. Can’t quite remember why I decided to call her Fred in the first place, but she rules the school and is always very good about indulging in my often bizarro taste in movies. Good to have a woman’s opinion to balance things out. Write that one down, kiddies.
- I’ve been playing the drums since High School but now that I live in Manhattan and there’s absolutely nowhere to put them, I’ve decided to pick up the banjo. I’ve got zero guitar-playing experience, but something about the banjo is so freakin’ cool that I just couldn’t resist. It’s slow-going at the moment, but I’ll be playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown like it’s nobody’s business with a piece of straw in my mouth and jug of moonshine at my side in no time.
- I’ve got a lot of hobbies and I’m passionate about all of them – watching movies, writing every day, digging music, reading like a fiend, video gaming, strummin’ away on my beautiful banjo, pretty sure I’m forgetting one or two things in there. Gets a little overwhelming once in a while, but it’s a big part of who I am and it’s worth the juggling act.
- I want Peter Travers’ job. I also want to write and direct my own movie and see what happens from there. I’m confident I could make one totally kickass movie.
- Thanks to my mom’s job that takes her across the globe to solve homelessness, I in turn have become a world traveler. Israel, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Ecuador, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, even Canada. Been pretty fortunate in that regard and I think the top spot still goes to Japan, even though they don’t know how to party like the Irish. Two places I still want to go: Greece and Iceland.
- There is nothing like drinking a cold beer in a hot shower. Yeah, I’m out of “Aiden factoids”.
And now for Numbers 5 through 7 in one fell swoop.
Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
Gonna go for ones that haven’t been nominated yet, or at least I don’t think they have.
- Ross vs. Ross – One of the first movie blogs I started following religiously when I started this sucker up and by golly are these guys entertaining. Stellar blog all around, still have no idea how they each managed to make a Top 100 list though.
- Not Just Movies – Jake is a guy who knows his shit. I think I’d lose my damn if I wrote as much and as often as he does, but I can’t help but admire what he’s doing and he’s always got some really sharp stuff to say.
- Go, See, Talk! – Maybe it’s just because I can’t help but appreciate a fellow Cowboy Bebop fan, but Marc over at GST is all about posting stuff that I can’t help but comment on and it doesn’t look like he’s stopping any time soon. Good folks over there.
- Bill’s Movie Emporium – The movies Bill reviews are always across the board, his opinions are always to the point and well-written, and even though I still don’t know what movie that awesome picture on his banner is from, this is a fantastic blog that I check up on daily.
- Paragraph Film Reviews – Short, to the point, no jibba-jabba reviews. Love what this site has going for it and always look forward to comments from the author.
- The Robot Who Likes Pretty Things – The guy watches one movie a day and writes a review each day. Being someone who jumped on the bandwagon shortly after and only recently broke down to 5 reviews a week, I tip my hat to this fine blogger.
- The Dark of the Matinee – Eh, screw it. He’s already got a nomination, but I have to mention this guy. Huge fan of The Hatter and the truly choice stuff he puts out there every gosh darn day. I check this site like gangbusters and I recommend you follow suit.
I honestly wish there was more than seven I could put down here because every last one of these cats on the blogroll are there for a reason. But alas, such are the restraints of the Kreativ Blogger Award.
Well, that’s a wrap, folks. It’s stuff like this that helps me stay sane when the last thing I feel like doing some days is jumping on WordPress and I thank you all for supporting this little project of mine. So until I get Peter Travers’ job…
Keep it real,
Aiden R.
Hard Candy (2005)
VERDICT:
6/10 Jailbait Vigilantes
Pedophiles, just be glad you got Chris Hansen instead of Ellen Page.
Hard Candy is about a grown man who manages to seduce a 14-year-old girl via an instant messaging convo and a subsequent coffee date. The girl plays along, he takes her back to his home, they start to get comfortable, then she turns the tables on the creep and teaches him a lesson he’ll never forget.
Now, this is one crazy movie. This is one that’ll stick with you for a good while after and get you talking like gangbusters not only because of the way it handles the subject matter but also because of the limits it keeps on pushing. It helps that it’s got a knock-out poster, premise and title to draw you in, but novelties aside, this really is one fucked up little monster.
At its core, Hard Candy is very character-driven head trip in that its main goal is to present you with this touchy subject and continually try to wane your sympathies between the predator and the prey as the role of victim is blurred to the point where it’s almost uncomfortable. There’s really only two characters to worry about, but given their circumstances and ulterior motives, two ends up being the perfect number.
In the left corner, we have Hayley – played by the brilliant Ellen Page. This Hayley’s something else. Your first impression of her is that she’s either super naive or a total skank who’s way too young to be doing anything other than listening to Miley, but despite her exterior, it’s easy to see that she’s pretty sharp for her age. That surprisingly mature quality of hers is at once a selling point as it makes her endlessly interesting to watch as she transforms, though I can’t help but think that she’s almost too smart for her own good.
There were times when I found myself wondering if someone can actually be this smart and play out such a complicated scheme so effortlessly, especially a 14 year-old. I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to keep my cool like she does and I’m 23. Then again, Ellen Page does rock. The hair cut is questionable, but she still steals the show. Doesn’t hurt that she’s got the most fascinating character to begin with.
And as for the right corner, we have Jeff – played by Patrick Wilson, who seems to be just fine as an actor. Here’s the thing with Jeff, the guy’s a piece of shit. That’s because he’s trying to hook up with a minor and he keeps on trying to weasel his way out of things when both the audience and Hayley know damn well that he is in fact trying to hook up with a minor. By all accounts, this is a guy who could use a time out.
But Jeff’s role and ultimate punishment is also the one big problem I have with this movie. I know it’s just a movie and all, but considering the subject matter, it takes on a whole new kind of meaning. Also, I’m in no place to say what degree of punishment is appropriate for someone like Jeff, but by the same token, who is? Let’s just say that things get pretty bad for Jeff, and the sympathy you might feel for him is merely due credit I direct to the filmmakers, but I can’t help but feel like it eventually gets too bad for him.
Not trying to justify his character or morals or actions or any of that jazz, but I don’t know, I couldn’t justify his fate (probably not the word for it, but you get the gist). Yeah, he is given the chance to end it and walk away, but I really can’t say what I would do if I were in his shoes either.
Anyway, sorry if this thing turned into a review of sorts for those of you who have already seen the movie, but what can I say, it’s one hell of a talking point. Now, if you haven’t seen Hard Candy and you’re jivin’ for some intense, in-your-face stuff that’ll finally satiate that void in your life now that To Catch a Predator is gone, I’d say go ahead and give it a looksee. It’s a very crisp-looking movie, it’s got some pretty solid performances from its two leads and it will most definitely get that moral compass a-spinnin’.
And, yes, it is every bit as creepy as its poster.
The Top 10
Let me preface this by saying two things:
1) I haven’t seen every movie that came out this past year, but since I’ve been chomping at the bit to make my list, this is what’s happening.
2) Some of the scores I gave these movies at the time I reviewed them don’t necessarily reflect their place on the list. Had a long time to think about these, some have aged better than others, but these are the ones that stuck with me the most. Funny how that works out.
And that’s it. So without further ado, let ‘er rip…
10. Avatar – lived up to the hype and then some
9. The Road – horribly publicized and still not as good as the book, but a fantastic adaptation by a fantastic director all the same
8. (500) Days of Summer – the feel-good movie of the year, best romcom I’ve seen in a good long while
7. Two Lovers – the best thing Joaquin Phoenix has ever done for this world; yes, even better than rapping
6. The Hurt Locker – one hell of a powerful ride, need to see this one again
5. A Single Man – Colin Firth deserves that damn Oscar, phenomenal movie otherwise
4. Anvil! The Story of Anvil – best doc of the year, hard to beat the real-life story of Spinal Tap (first review I ever wrote, too)
3. Precious – not exactly a pick-me-upper, but a freakin’ powerhouse all the same
2. Inglourious Basterds – Tarantino’s long-awaited return to form, bonus points for a career-defining performance by Christoph Waltz and Brad Pitt in his best role since Tyler Durden
1. Up – the only 10 I gave out and the only one that truly deserved it
Well, there ya have it, folks. Still need to see A Serious Man, A Single Man, Big Fan, World’s Greatest Dad (which is waiting for me at home), An Education, Fantastic Mr. Fox, In The Loop and Crazy Heart, but since a handful of these are out of theaters and won’t be on Netflix for a while, I’m thinking this is a pretty solid list as is.
2009 – a damn fine year for movies if I do say so myself.
Secretary (2002)
VERDICT:
3/10 Spanking Sessions
Too damn strange for its own good.
Secretary is about a fragile woman that gets out of a mental hospital after nearly killing herself and finds a job working as a secretary for the weirdest lawyer alive. Initially, she hits it out of the park, then the lawyer realizes she’s kinda sorta seeing someone, so he gets jealous, makes her life a living hell and starts slapping her ass like you wouldn’t believe. Naturally, she ends up falling for him, and so begins this bizarro game of sadomasochistic cat and mouse that they call love.
Looking back, I’m not really sure what I expected to get out of this movie. I’d heard about it before, not so much about whether it was good or not, but mostly about how racy it was and that’s about it. I’ll admit, the poster did peak my interest, but unfortunately, racy movies don’t necessarily translate to good movies.
I guess I’ll start off with the positive because it totally pales in comparison to the negative.
The only thing I can think of that’s at best a saving grace for this movie is Maggie Gyllenhaal as the said secretary. I’m not a big fan of Gyllenhaal to begin with, but considering how much wacky shit she was put through here and that her character is the only moderately redeeming one of the bunch, she gets a mention. Still not sold on her though, still not a selling point to the movie either.
Everyone else, not so hot. James Spader plays the lawyer and holy hell is he weird to a fault. Eccentric would be putting it kindly, flat-out stupid is probably more accurate; dude just bothered me. Also features Jeremy Davies as Gyllenhaal’s sorta boyfriend, and while he’s not all too memorable because he acts the same way in every movie, I can’t help but think of him as “Eugene from Eugene” after watching Rescue Dawn, so I guess he gets unintentional points for that. I’m also a big Lost fan, so that helps, too.
But the big problem with Secretary is that it doesn’t make me give a shit about anything it has to say or offer. Was I supposed to have this big epiphany or change of heart for these nut cases once the ass-whupping starts? How on Earth would that make anyone connect to these characters? And that’s just the first in a long line of increasingly odd sexual “fantasies” that these two get themselves into. By the time they start to really develop and realize their true feelings for each other, it’s lost on me and my eyes can only roll so far before it starts to hurt.
This movie also plays into an issue I have with on-screen nudity. Not surprisingly, Maggie here gets super naked for all us viewers. What is surprising is that it occurs at a time when it doesn’t really seem to matter or make any difference to the story as a whole. But even if she had donned her birthday suit at a huge turning point, I still can’t help but wonder, “Is this really the movie you want to get naked for? This was the dealbreaker?” As a whole, this movie blows, and as a result I almost felt bad for her by the end, that this of all movies is the reason everyone now knows what you look like naked. Whatever, not my call.
I don’t know if I’m in the minority here or what, but I didn’t get it. It’s not well-written, the direction is pretty amateurish, as is the score, and it borders more on creepy than it does on cutting edge. Something about a romantic comedy that isn’t funny and equates “romantic” to “Hit me harder, Master!” doesn’t really work for me. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, I don’t know. I wouldn’t have gotten naked for it, I know that much for sure.
Now Titanic, I definitely would have gotten naked for that.
And everyone’s favorite Hollywood Devil is…
AL PACINO!
It was a surprisingly close race between Al and Trey Parker, and even though I’d take South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut over The Devil’s Advocate any day, I think the we have a pretty clear winner.
Good voting, folks. Big turnout this week.
RESULTS:
– Al Pacino: 12 votes (Hoo-waa!!)
– Harvey Keitel: 2 votes
– Elizabeth Hurley: 5 votes
– Gabriel Byrne: 2 votes (you know you’re not a good Satan when you get killed by Arnold Schwarzenegger)
– Trey Parker: 10 votes (A for effort)
– Other: 1 vote for Robert DeNiro in Angel Heart (never seen it), 1 vote for Christopher Walken in The Prophecy (never seen it, probably should), 1 vote for Tim Curry in Legend (who knew that was Tim Curry under there) and 1 vote for Satan from The Passion of the Christ (yeah, that was creepy).
And now for this week’s poll…
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
VERDICT:
9/10 Habitual Spitters
Man, there is nothing like a Clint Eastwood Western.
The Outlaw Josey Wales is about an ordinary farmer who’s minding his P’s and Q’s when his family is murdered and home burned to the ground by a band of straight up evil bastards just because. So the farmer heads off with a ragtag group of Confederate guerrillas in search of these jerks, then finds himself on the run with a big ol’ warrant on his head when the said evil bastards turn out to be Union soldiers, and with the help of some Indians and women he meets along the way, the farmer-turned-misunderstood killing machine books it down South to get revenge and clear his good name.
I’m not really sure why, but I haven’t gotten around to reviewing too many Clint Eastwood movies around here at Cut The Crap. I’m thinking it’s because I need a mass refresher course so I can do them all justice, but nonetheless, this cannot stand. Nor do I think I’ve made it perfectly clear that Clint Eastwood is a god among men, easily finding his way to the top spot as my favorite actor of all time. There’s a laundry list of reasons why, but The Outlaw Josey Wales is a pretty solid example on its own. So to prevent this review from turning into an Ode to Clint, I’ll just go ahead and dive into the movie.
In a nutshell, Josey Wales is badass.
I can see why some people not be into the whole Western thing, especially something like this that doesn’t move along at the speed of a meth freak, but I don’t happen to be in that choir. Westerns are freakin’ great and it’s always awesome to come across one like this that goes against the grain when it comes to what folks generally think as “traditional” Westerns. This isn’t John Wayne, this isn’t cowboys vs. inguns, Josey is instead a surprisingly poignant take on John Ford‘s wild West that manages to stay cool as hell while turning convention after convention on its head.
And even though he didn’t write the script – which is also really good and is filled with some classic one-liners that had me howling – Eastwood has since made this unconventional take on the genre that made him famous a trademark of sorts with Unforgiven and whatnot, and damn if it still isn’t refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, John Wayne and John Ford are tip-top in my book, but I’ll always have a penchant for Clint’s West.
This time around, the bad guys are the Union soldiers, the good guys are the “murderers” and the Indians, and rather than shoot first and ask questions later, it looks toward a peaceful resolution (granted, Clint still does a lot of shooting first before questions are asked, but what do you expect, the guy’s got a warrant on his head). I mean, I don’t know what things were really like back then, but considering how badly Native Americans got screwed – and continue to get screwed – I can’t help but love that they’re the ones taking names here. They’re not presented as “savages”, they’re the victimized heroes that have had just about enough of the white man’s shit and they are more than happy to jump on Josey’s bandwagon.
And as for Clint as Josey, well, I said this wasn’t going to be a fanboy rant, so I’ll be brief. It’s not a groundbreaking performance in the way that Gran Torino was for him, it’s familiar territory, but the strongest aspect of the role lies not only in Josey’s moral code, but that it plays to Clint’s strongest suit: the dude doesn’t mince words. The thing that a lot of actors and screenwriters don’t get about what it makes to come up with a legitimately cool character is that you don’t have to be loud and you don’t have to have bigger guns than everyone else. Clint has never been much of a talker, but when he speaks, people listen, and not just because of that hardcore sneer, but because the guy knows how to choose his words.
That’s why Clint is the man here, that’s why Clint is the man always. He is the standard.
But anyway, The Outlaw Josey Wales is a standout Western because it’s not the norm. It takes something familiar and turns it upside-down in a far more insightful, humanistic, and (probably) realistic manner that was atypical for a genre that started out pretty black and white. Not sure if this is gonna be the one to convert anyone who’s not already a Western fan, but a great movie all the same that has rightfully earned its place as a classic.
Dammit, that totally turned into an Ode to Clint. Eh, had to happen sooner or later.
Hey folks,
Well, word on the street is that we’re tangled up in a whole new decade and that means it’s about time I came up with my 2010 New Years resolution. Unfortunately, this year’s resolution is a bit of a double-edged sword, but it’s one I need to abide by: I need to finish my effing screenplay that I’ve been working on for over two years now. See, I’ve been meaning to take this beast off the backburner for far too long now and it’s still got a ways to go, so I’m gonna be freeing up my weekends to do just that because I can’t go another year with this monkey on my back. So that’s one edge of the sword, the other is that I’ll only be posting reviews on Mondays through Fridays from now on, no more weekends. May very well be a temporary move, but that’s the score for the time being.
By the same token, I’m thinking this might be a win-win situation. Hoping the reviews are gonna take on a more quality over quantity approach and maybe it’ll give you and I something extra to look forward to once the work week finally rears its ugly head. Either way, that’s the news, thanks as always for reading and I apologize deeply for being the buzzkill.
Have a swell weekend, folks, and see you on Monday.
– Aiden R.
Cut The Crap Movie Reviews 
