Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Open Range

This is topic Open Range in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-15-2003, 05:49 AM:

What happens when you team up Kevin Costner with Robert Duvall? The answer is simple because Kevin Costner has only done a couple of decent films (the only one I really liked of which was "A Perfect World") and there is not one single Robert Duvall film that I like in the least bit (and no I never saw "The Godfather"). That being established, this movie has "boring suck fest" written all over it.

Well amazingly enough that is not the case with this flick. It was pretty damned good! For once Robert Duvall did not completely annoy me. In fact I found he did an excellent job and was perfect for the part as was Kevin Costner's performance. The film has a similar style and pace that "Unforgiven" did. Plus the SRD track on this is dynamite!

I have only one complaint about the film. The last 15 minutes should have been condensed down to no more than 5. It seemed Costner was trying to tie up the subplot and he just took too long to do it. Otherwise I am giving this film very high scores. Go check this out in a big theater with a well tuned sound system. [thumbsup]

4 out of 5 stars

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-15-2003, 08:19 AM:

You never saw The Godfather? Damn. You must see it. Sadly, the "anniversary" reissue prints look worse than the ones which were in circulation a year before the reissue (maybe IB Tech?).

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-16-2003, 09:06 PM:

Oh, cool, Brad! I'm glad to hear that. I WILL be making a trip to a theatre to see this. I've wanted to see it ever since the trailer started running a few weeks ago.

Hollywood, more Westerns!

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-17-2003, 01:23 AM:

This is good news. Hopefully the DTS track is as good as you say the SRD is because we are running it in DTS. I have to make one request though: Take a day off and go watch The Godfather. You owe it to yourself!

AJG

Posted by Mitchell Cope (Member # 32) on 08-17-2003, 08:10 AM:

I didn't love this and I didn't hate this. It was OK. Great panoramas on the open range. I'm beginning to think Costner has no acting range. He has that same whiny voice in everything he plays. Movie moves slow. I really thought the plot had no real depth for a two hour plus movie. Great dialog..., cause something has to hold this thing together from beginning to end.

Robert Duvall is good. Annette Bening looked beautiful even though they wanted to emphasize she's not a young woman anymore. I look forward to see what she does next. Great actress, but Costner called her the Katharine Hepburn of our day. What a cheap shot off Katharine Hepburn at her passing. [Roll Eyes]

Very violent movie for this day and age when you would think that gun play is not politically correct. I know, it's a Western, but I cringed every time a gun fired and someone went down. Who knows, maybe that's what I'm supposed to do.

The visual image in town looked overly desaturated. At times I questioned whether the image had a video quality to it. That bothered me. Wished they had left the image alone on this one.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-17-2003, 01:35 PM:

Yes, those were violent times.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-17-2003, 08:36 PM:

I found "Open Range" to be among the best films I've seen this summer. It's not as packed with action as "Pirates of the Carribean." But it is a well done film if you give its slower pace a chance.

There were only two faults I had with the film. The post-climax ending was indeed overlong. Some of Michael Kamen's music cues (particularly in an early scene with Robert Duvall bringing horses back into camp) bordered on being sappy and falsely sentimental. It had me wishing for something more original sounding or wishing Costner had hired John Barry (Barry did the Oscar-winning score for "Dances With Wolves").

It is to this film's credit that it followed the slow-smolder buildup that worked so well in "Unforgiven." The film hides violent events early on, only showing their aftermath. A lesser filmmaker wouldn't have approached it with that dramatic strategy. Everything is held back for the big showdown. And then the violence has real impact when it plays out in front of your eyes.

quote:
Very violent movie for this day and age when you would think that gun play is not politically correct. I know, it's a Western, but I cringed every time a gun fired and someone went down.

Actually, I think this is a testament to the quality of this movie and it taking a stand against violence. It is another theme this film lifts from "Unforgiven." Killing is not pleasant. It certainly is not cool or fun the way a typical buddy cop action movie/comedy would make it appear. "Open Range" takes sides on painting characters as either good or bad. It also paints all those characters as being real people rather than nameless figures who only exist to be shot in gun battles. Some action movies make the deaths only about as significant as a frag in a Quake III Arena Internet deathmatch where players "respawn" after getting killed. The gunfight in "Open Range" shows permanent cost for such battles.

Speaking of making you cringe, the sound design of the film was excellent, particularly when it came to the gunfight. I watched the show in DTS this afternoon at the Carmike 8 (screen #5, originally a THX house, still has all the equipment but not officially certified). Gunshots reported with loud and deep punctuation that I would normally only associate when firing a shotgun or pistol for real. And that added to the "getting rattled" effect some of the characters were feeling in getting mixed up in that dangerous situation.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-19-2003, 03:17 AM:

Hello all. Saw the film tonight, and I was very impressed. Great cinematography, peformances, and interesting story. The showdown at the end is definitely top notch and very well done. I noticed this, along with others, that the movie is quiet. Early on, we do hears the sounds of rain and thunder, but it is still contained. Finally, when the battle starts, it hits you like a ton of bricks. Actually, the first shot I remember in the saloon really hit me hard! The DTS mix on this film was outstanding! No fake sounding guns here...this sounded very real and very painful. Great use of sound in a film.

AJG

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 08-20-2003, 05:38 AM:

Tim Reed said:
>>Oh, cool, Brad! I'm glad to hear that. I WILL be making a trip to a theatre to see this. I've wanted to see it ever since the trailer started running a few weeks ago.

Hollywood, more Westerns!<<

How did I know you'd be in this thread somewhere. [Wink]

Looking forward to this too.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 08-20-2003, 09:59 AM:

The only thing that prevents me from giving this film my highest rating is, as Brad Stated, the last ten minutes. To much explaining in words what you could have explained in a visual since in about five minutes. There was a line in the film he should of listened to. A picture is worth a thousand words. The sound was great. THe gun shots had me jumping in my seat. I will be getting this one when it goes to DVD. I give this one ***1/2 out of four stars.

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 08-20-2003, 03:38 PM:

I rate "Open Range" 10 beers out of a 12 pack

I had a review written up but the [fu]

damn spell checker [fu]

messed up. So here is short,short version.

Good movie, see it with good sound, DTS. Cinematophoghy great. Liked the slow shots. Music was off, agree with Bobby. Scripit was good. Duval will get nomination for best actor. Not as good as Unforgiven.

Hackman," You just shot an unarmed man."
Eastwood," He should of armed himself."

I didn't like the the gun play, Costner's six shooter was more like a 15 shooter

Theatre filled with old people and they wouldn't shut up, kept talking and making comments. Go see a late showing. The lock up time at the old folks home is around 8pm.

Posted by Don E. Nelson (Member # 1049) on 09-15-2003, 03:28 PM:

I just wish Costner would not direct himself, he is a little too enamored with his own pretty face. My pick for a director would be someone like Michael Cimino who understands the western epic or the guy who wrote Silverado, Larry Kasdan, a great dialogue director.
My best pick to direct this particular film would have been either Dennis Hopper or Billy Bob Thorton.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-15-2003, 04:01 PM:

From what I saw of Open Range when it first opened (about half of the film in and around changeovers) it was good.

The picture itself also looked good.

Hopefully I'll get to see it in full before it vanishes from theatres.

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 09-24-2003, 09:50 AM:

I saw this at the theater I put the CP-50 in (Higginsville, Mo) and the optical track on this film was outstanding. I could hear the wind around me during the outdoor scenes, felt like I was in the middle of the gunfight at the end.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-04-2004, 12:02 PM:

EXCELLENT! I give it a Saddle Pal rating of 4 saddles! The only fault was, like Brad said, some unnecessarily slow scenes.

Sadly, I didn't get to make the theatre showing, but I got the DVD.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-04-2004, 05:00 PM:

Like Tim. I did not see "OPEN RANGE" in a theatre but on DVD. I have been watching most theatrical films on DVD lately and I enjoyed this movie very much and give it four stars.

-Claude