Kathleen Previews New (sort of) Western

A new Western movie? My baby loves 'em. Naturally we couldn't wait, and with a "sneak preview" available last night, we didn't have to. "3:10 To Yuma" will be out in general release Sept 7, and for all you Western fans, we're flashing two thumbs up.

I sort of remember the original 1957 version. The title, anyway. Definitely the stars. I was a big Glenn Ford fan. But when I heard there was a remake on the way, I had to look it up to learn that this was a ground breaker in its day. The first "psychological" Western. It was (and is) based on an Elmore Leonard short story, which shows in the dialog. It starts out as your basic good vs evil Western, but as the layers of character are peeled back, it becomes delightfully more complex--certainly in the 2007 version. (I just put the 1957 version in my queue.)

You can't go wrong with Christian Bale and Russell Crow. They live up to our expectations in this one--intense, deliciously troubled, deep, but they deliver some humor, too, and it works beautifully despite the considerable blood-letting. It's fun to watch them play off each other.

Loved the camera work. They can do so much more to give you the feel of the action than they could 50 years ago. The only shots that didn't work for me were some of the closeups on horseback. They had to be riding some easy walkers. But that's just me. The Monument Valley setting was a wonderful toast to the classic Western, and how appropriate that Peter Fonda played a role. He's no Henry, but he's good.

And the story?



Hard-luck rancher, family man, good guy (Bale) takes on the job (on the promise of $200 reward) of getting a hardened criminal (Crow) to the train bound for Yuma prison, while the meanest gang in the West, hell-bent to save him, creates carnage. On the road, stuff happens. Black and white turn to grey in a world where there's precious little good, and two interesting characters gradually reveal themselves. Okay, the ending is a stretch, but it's based on a short story, remember.

Westerns. Anybody miss them besides me? What's your favorite? Who's the best cowboy ever?