3:10 to Yuma

David and I had a night at the St John's Cinema & Pub for dinner and a show. It's a great place to see a movie because you can order pizza and a drink for a reasonable price and sit and eat it while you're watching your movie.

3:10 to Yuma is an excellent, excellent movie. I couldn't believe my eyes, truly. This was made in Hollywood? Has Hollywood come to its senses about the value of a good story, interesting character development and smart dialog?

The answer seems to be 'yes.'

Russell Crowe (Wade) is a truly creepy and brilliant outlaw intent on making a livin' the violent way, along with his sickly devoted psychopathic gang. Ben Foster (Charlie) plays a sociopathic side-kick of Wade's intent on garnering Wade's release from the iron grip of the law, or at least the railroad law intent on having him hanged for thieving. Christian Bale (Evans) is astounding as the quiet, beaten-down one-legged Civil War veteran/rancher tempted by much-needed funds to do what he shouldn't get involved with in the first place.

It's probably a better idea not to read the short story by Elmore Leonard before you see the movie. David had read the story; I had not. I liked the movie a lot; David was disappointed. I caution those seeing it: there's a lot of ways to tell a story. Movie-making and book-writing can be two different experiences, but each is valuable in its own way.

Kudos to the director, James Mangold, who also directed "Walk the Line" (the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash).

Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) gives it a thumbs up and says of James Mangold:

"To remake "3:10 to Yuma" seems an odd choice after such other modern films
as "Girl, Interrupted," but the movie itself proves he had a good reason for choosing
it. In hard times, Americans have often turned to the Western to reset their
compasses. In very hard times, it takes a very good Western. Attend well to Ben
Wade's last words in this movie, and who he says them to, and why."


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