I love a good duster, and I may have a small man crush on Christian Bale (seriously when is the last time the guy made a bad movie?) So I may be a little biased but I really enjoyed this movie. The story is strong, the performances are great, and the visuals are amazing. The only complaint I can make is that they had to use an Aussie and a Welshman to make a solid American western but that’s it.
The cast: As previously mentioned Christian Bale hasn’t made a bad movie in years, the guy could star in a remake of Deuce Bigalow and I’d still watch it. In 3:10 Yuma he plays Dan Evans a down on his luck rancher who agrees to guard a captured fugitive so he can earn money to pay off his farm. The fugitive is played to perfection by Russell Crowe. Crowe expertly blends charm and ruthlessness into the character to make it one of his best performances to date. The supporting cast is great and includes big names such as Peter Fonda, and Gretchen Mol, but the scene stealer here is Ben Foster. As Charlie Prince Foster plays a convincingly vicious killer, and provides a real heavy bad guy to drive the story.
The film itself is a near perfect blend of the older western style mixed with more modern action scenes, which come together to create a compelling film. Moral ambiguity has been a staple in Westerns from early on, and is used expertly here as the viewer is torn between rooting for charismatic outlaw, or the simple rancher trying to provide for his family. From beginning to end it’s a fun ride full of rich charaters and great performances.
Run Time: 122 minutes
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