Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Movie, Book, and Music Review Appaloosa

Keep a look out for a new Western called Appaloosa. It's coming out shortly, and the preview I saw looks very promising!

comes out in October

I take it the movie is based on the Robert B. Parker novel by the same name?

Should be good if they don't butcher the plot.

Any idea who is cast for the film?

I wonder who will play Cole, Hitch, Bragg, etc.

For anyone who hasn't read the book, this ain't no Louie L'Amour western. Folks actually cuss, the damsel is no innocent beauty fighting off the advances of some evil rancher bent on taking over the country and her struggling ranch after her father passes away.

There is an evil rancher bent on taking over the country, as well as a final showdown, but events unfold in quite a different manner than in most westerns.

Gritty. I wish RBP wrote more westerns.

Jeremy Irons will play Bragg, Viggo Mortenson is Hitch and Ed Harris is Cole. Never heard of it myself but I like westerns and they just dont do enough of them anymore.

Hmmm.

Not quite what I envisioned when I read the story, but maybe they'll grow on me when presented on the screen. I pictured Bragg as someone bigger and heartier than Jeremy Irons. I could see the other two filling the roles of Cole and Hitch though. Just have to wait and see.

I wonder how they will handle narrative point of view? The book is written in first person (Hitch).

P.S. Just checked out the trailer. Maybe Irons is a good fit. The whole Brian Dennehy bad guy is a bit cliched I suppose. Renee Zellweger as Allie? Hmmm.

They nailed the Shelton Brothers.

Should be a good flick, as long as they don't change the ending.

Can't wait to see it...

Guys: I saw the movie last night and I did enjoy it.
On "my" movie scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the highest rating and 1 being the lowest - this movie (being in the "Westerns" category) I would rate at 87.
I won't spoil any of the movie for any of you but it was well filmed and had some wonderful period armaments (with only one "clunker" that I could see).
The loss of rating points on my scale were due to some story gaps or editing failures may be a better way to put it.
Several surprises in what I thought was going to be a "predictable" kind of a movie!
I enjoyed it and would be tempted to pay to see it again - just for the "escapism" it provided me!
I think I would recommend it to be seen by anyone that likes westerns and wants to see a western.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Agree that the film editor needn't look forward to an Oscar nomination for his work here, but other than that nit picky negative, I really enjoyed the film too.

Good western with good plot twists. And even after seeing hundreds and hundreds of movie western shootouts, the one in the bar here had a visceral suddenness to it that really hit home.

Ed Harris was good, but I am liking Viggo Mortensen more and more. Seeing him in Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, he seems to be very aptly taking over roles Clint used to play but Viggo has a quieter, almost self effacing manner. He doesn't come out with such an over the top tough guy persona, but still can be quite scary. After his role in Eastern Promises, I wouldn't want him making the "fangs to the neck" sign at me!

Jim In Idaho: I am glad you enjoyed the movie as much as I did.
And you are exactly right about Viggo Mortensen - he is excellent as Everett Hitch and has had many great role performances of late (last 3 years or so)!
I may go see it (Appaloosa) again this afternoon as the weather here in SW Montana is the pits for Hunting and the Mule Deer rut has not quite started yet anyway!
Yeah I think I will pay to see it once more.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Wife and I saw Appaloosa Sat night. We both really liked the movie and especially Viggo as Hitch.

Did you guys stay through the credits and hear Ed Harris sing? What was the title...You'll never leave my heart IIRC.

Found it on You Tube:

You'll Never Leave My Heart by Ed Harris

Now playing on DTV PPV

I just got the DVD and liked the movie. It was no epic, but is a lot better than anything else out there. I love driving through that area outside of Sante Fe. All of the westerns filmed there seem to just come alive when I think about them.

I saw it this past weekend on DVD. I really enjoyed the movie. The interaction between Cole and Hitch was excellent, what two good partners become. Each knew exactly what the other was going to do and was capable of. Mrs. French wasn't the best looking babe in the west. Nor the most trustworthy either...

Saw the DVD this w'end as well. Thought it was a decent flick, good but not great.

Agreed, Rene Zellweger looked rather homely and plain; not at all a good looking woman.

That's why she got the part, IMO. The character was not a hottie.

Has kind of unusual pacing... I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. I did like the interaction between Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. Jeremy Irons played a very good bad guy.