SummaryAcademy-Award winning director Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves") helms this traditional Western tale of a way of life that is quickly disappearing. (Touchstone Pictures)
SummaryAcademy-Award winning director Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves") helms this traditional Western tale of a way of life that is quickly disappearing. (Touchstone Pictures)
It's a gorgeously atmospheric, perfectly cast, beautifully crafted oater of the old school, made with heaps of integrity, no gimmicks and few concessions to the box office. Its only real flaw is that it strains a bit too hard to be a "classic" western.
It's a real and rare pleasure to see Costner and Duvall together -- these masters of intense passivity, who know how to be watched when they're listening.
Easily on par with Unforgiven, Josey Wales, Dances with wolves. A love story set in a turbulent time. Friends face of against corruption and win. What's to fault?
Why can we not get more westerns? A brilliant western that fits the genre bill and feels straight out of the golden age of the genre, Open Range confirms Kevin Costner's directorial ability, especially when in control of a western. Robert Duvall, Costner, Diego Luna, and Annette Bening, are all terrific and have great chemistry with one another. Open Range does a good job establishing its characters, their motivations, and setting the stage for its big shootout. The action sequence is well handled and well shot, never becoming disorienting or confusing. Its purpose is clear and the proceeding elements of the film are done in a way that leaves you rooting for the protagonists, as you should, though the chemistry between the actors definitely plays into this element. As with many westerns, the film is incredibly lush and gorgeous, taking full advantage of its open, pure, and idyllic setting. A properly epic, well paced, and enthralling film, Open Range is a modern western with classical feel.
A better, and more relevant movie, might have left us at the point of troubled introspection, but Costner is compulsive about tying up loose ends and upbeat messages. If the climax of Open Range is disappointing, the ending is almost intolerable.
"Open Range" is a 2003 film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The movie tells the story of two cattle ranchers (Costner, Duvall) who are forced to take up arms when threatened by corrupt lawmen. The movie to me looked like it was gonna' be a slightly boring film about life on the. . .wait for it. . .open range. I was half right. A very large portion of this movie's beginning 45 minutes is about just that. However, past that point the movie picks up with a fairly plain, but still enjoyable plot. The characters in the movie are pretty good. Duvall's portrayal of Boss Spearman is the best in the film, by my opinion. I thought Costner's performance was a little stoic, but not bothersome (makes me think that that was the intention). The script was standard in terms of dialogue I guess. Then again, I wasn't alive during the 19th century, so I have no frame of reference. The best and most entertaining point in this film is the last hour where the film's most impressive set piece is set into motion - a really incredible gunfight happens. It's shot spectacularly well - a worthy testament of Costner's directorial aptitude. Through and through I found "Open Range" to be a fairly entertaining film with a great climax.
Duvall is just brilliant. Costner is **** Jerry Seinfeld of dramas. He's just Kevin, in 19th-century America, hardly even trying to act. Just being Kevin. Despite that, it's a lovely film, well shot.