Open Range (2003) Reviews

• A traditional, well-made western

  Chris_Docker2004-03-20

  A traditional, well-made western - suitable for most ages, features good guys herdin' cattle, bad guys tryin' to steal the cattle, codes of honour, a corrupt sheriff, a fantastic shoot-out, and Annette Bening being lovely in the wings. Open Range doesn't do anything particularly new, it just does it particularly well. For actor/director/producer Kevin Costner, it seems to have been a labour of love and one that has paid off handsomely. The characters are well fleshed out, it has plenty to appeal to adults (men and women) rather than being just a boys-with-guns film. The qualities of the main heroes are likeable - they value the trust, respect and confidence that is given them and realise the value of these things. Open Range is no high and mighty moraliser however; there are plenty true-to-genre one-liners, such as "You're nothing!" (grim-faced, cornered bad guy) - "Maybe so," (good guy pointing a gun at him), "but I'll still be breathing in another minute!" Towards the end of the film they also battle with their own inner demons. What starts out with all the flavour of a Boys' Own adventure (complete with cutesy dog) turns out to be a well-rounded minor classic. Long live the Western!

• Duvall steals the show with a charismatic portrayal of a man who exudes kindness…

  Nazi_Fighter_David2006-03-27

  In "Open Range," we are drawn to two men running from their pasts, an aging lonely cowboy, Boss Spearman (Duvall), and his long time second hand man Charley Waite (Kevin Costner). They drive their herd of cattle from a vast prairie to another with their two young helpers: the giant Mose (Abraham Benrubi), a gentle fellow who mostly works as wagon driver and cook and Button (Diego Luna), a teenaged orphan eager to prove himself to his elders… The plot is launched when the four free-range cowboys encounter the town boss, the merciless Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), a menacing Irish immigrant who actively hates free-grazers, and wants their herd vanished from the territory one way or another… To make his feelings known, Baxter and his henchmen severely injure the two young cowboys… Boss treats the boy's wounds himself, and then takes him, with Charley, to the town's doctor where Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the doctor's middle-aged sister, cares for him… There, in their confusion and anger, the duo realize that they're now on their way for a high noon gun battle, not only for revenge, but to protect their way of life as well… Costner's character, Charlie Waite is an enigmatic, sensitive type who does not show much emotion… He has been taking orders from Boss for a decade, but their coming confrontation with Baxter and his thugs begins to reshape their relationship… Charlie has a troubled violent past of which he's not proud, but it's a past which will help him in the bloody fight to come… As the story goes relentlessly toward the clash between Baxter's brutes and the two cattlemen, Sue unexpectedly catches Charley's eye… She is a strong capable woman who discovers exactly what Charley is when she first meets him… Charley was more than a little worried… What if Sue sees his malicious side, it might scare her off… Duvall is exceptional as usual… He is strong and flexible… He steals the show with a charismatic portrayal of a man who exudes kindness as expressed in his concern for the wounded young boy… In one of the movie's few striking moments, Boss buys an expensive Swiss chocolate from the town's general store and then offers the storekeeper a piece of it when he finds that he has never tried it himself because he can't afford it… Duvall handles this scene relaxed and with all the graciousness and warmth… The film's cinematography is superb, due in part to the green, forested mountain slopes against the stunning snow-capped peaks, marked with occasional torrential thunderstorms…

• 4 Reasons Why I Love This Film

  ccthemovieman-12006-01-24

  They don't westerns that much anymore, at least on the big screen. People in the Baby Boomer generation grew up with them on television. Western films were big at the box office in several decades, too. Well, at least Kevin Costner must have a heart for the genre as he been involved with several major western productions in the last 15 years, this the latest. The best thing I can say about this film right out front is that it may be the best western I've ever watched. I can't give it higher praise than that! Since I've seen so many, for so long, it's especially high praise. I make this bold statement because of the following: 1 - Fantastic scenery and beautiful cinematography. If it looks spectacular on my 24-inch flat-screen, I can't imagine how awesome it would be a big plasma set. 2 - Characters you really care about, led by three actors who almost always give solid performances: Robert Duvall (the best in here), Costner and Annette Bening. Duvall, by the way, gives one of the best short "speeches" I've ever witnessed in a movie. It was nice to see Bening actually play a wholesome woman for a change. The two men who are out on the range with Duvall and Costner also were excellent. 3 - Just the right amount of action. When the action does occur, such as gunfire, the sound is incredible. This might be one of the best movies, audibly-speaking, I've ever heard, which is another reason for ranking it Number One. There are no lulls but not a ton of action, either. 4 - Just the right amount of romance. It doesn't get sappy, it doesn't overshadow the basic story, but it adds a nice, soft touch to what could be a very rough and unpleasant tale. And, in a different twist, it's the romance, not the usual climactic gun battle, that ends this film. I can't say enough about this movie except that I'm sorry more westerns like it aren't made today.

• Costner as Director

  dcyoung3542005-10-02

  When this film reaches the climactic shootout, it is a real cinematic treat. Costner has a great feel for creating and choreographing complex action scenes. There is one wide shot in particular that contains many actors involved in a number of separate interactions carried out in a masterfully-planned sequence. It is worth watching several times and paying close attention to each individual shootout going on within the larger scene. Costner has mastered the art of filling the screen with complex action. The cast is outstanding and the love story is compelling and not typical Hollywood. As a real Western fan, I enjoyed this one enough to watch it several times. I think the plot offers something for everyone and I think it is one of those rare films that appeals to both men and women. It is certainly worth checking out.

• Costner's best!

  jethelred2004-03-04

  (This is my first written review, so bear with me) I've seen many of Kevin Costner's movies (both acting and directing), and even more westerns, and I'd have to say that this movie is the best in either category. I've always thought Costner a sub-par actor, but I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role of Charlie. He had it down. The rest of the cast was superb as well. Luna (Button) and Benrubi (Mose) are both destined for greatness. Gambon (Baxter) and Duval (Boss) have been around long enough to do things right. Bening (Sue) is a better (and better-looking) actress than ever before. The supporting cast, and the characters they create, all flowed together so strongly and believably that I would've watched a movie about a week in the life of the town before Mose showed up that fateful day. The shopkeeper and Percy (Jeter) particularly shined, but every single citizen of that town gave the impression they had a story to tell. But I digress, because cast and characters alone do not a movie make. The dialog in many movies today is too geared to what the audience needs to hear. Rather than a fly-on-the-wall point of view on a realistic event, we normally get verbose exposition and other generally out-of-character dialog, so that the less intuitive viewer doesn't get left behind. In "Open Range", we're given a story. Four men and the task they must accomplish, with only the words any four men in a similar situation would say to each other. There wasn't anything directed to our tutelage alone, simply a bare-bones character drama. It felt real, like I could have been right there in the midst of things. That is the way movies SHOULD be. I applaud the creative minds behind this, and Costner, the ringmaster, above all others. I have not seen another film that captured the beauty of the title character (the open range, nyuk nyuk) in such a light. While I'm sure that at least some of the footage was shot in a studio, and picturesque backdrops appeared to be inserted in the terrain at some points, the believability that this was 1880's "Old West" was always there. From the wide open skies and rolling hills to the pebbled creeks and fresh-built townscapes, I was thoroughly impressed. The set/art direction weren't the only elements that capitalized on this beauty. Often, the camera operator (and undoubtedly Costner himself) had found amazing camera angles/motion to accentuate the finer elements of the sets. One such picturesque moment came in the form of an establishing shot of the cool, clear pebbled creek, shot from just inches above the surface, as the horses drank the purity of nature itself. Another shot shows the hills/mountains with lightning crashing around them as a storm billows its way to town. Was this an effects shot or not? I don't rightly know, and I was too impressed to care. The movie is beautiful. There is also a beautifully mastered scene in which Charlie awakes from an unsettling dream and at first doesn't know the dream from reality. The use of camera motion and picture superimposition here isn't so over-the-top that it feels out of place in the rest of the "artistic" film. It's hard for someone to accomplish that. All technical terms aside, this film was born from talent. The writers, actors, and most importantly the director knew how to make a film enjoyable. When a movie just plain works, it's because the producers have assembled a group of personalities that work well together. This movie obviously had that. I'm very much looking forward to whatever it is that Costner decides to bring us next. I have been shown the light. 9 out of 10, "classic"