Category: Actors

“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” (2024) starring Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, & Sam Worthington

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The story of a nation unsettled. -Tagline

Hey y’all, can you believe it’s already SEPT (Fall)? Also, can y’all believe I wasted 3+ hrs. watching this Western (streaming on Max)!? It took me 2 nights to get through it last wk; I think this could be a cure for insomnia. As on viewer put it so clearly: “It felt like it belonged on TV as a miniseries in the late ’90s.” Actor/director/co-writer Kevin Costner reportedly spent a LOT of his own money to make this $100M movie. There are 2 more chapters being made; it’s NOT certain that those will get theatrical releases. I have to admit that I find Costner to be a limited actor (though I liked No Way Out and Bull Durham); I’ve also never seen his recent Paramount+ series- Yellowstone.

There a 3 or 4 separate groups (so far) that we meet in this sprawling/epic mess. The settings are several Western states in the time period of 1861-1865. The opening act is quite tense/exciting (I have to admit); Costner’s teen son (Hayes) plays a role. The 1st set of characters we meet incl. a mother, Frances Kittridge (Sienna Miller), her teen daughter Elizabeth (Georgia MacPhail), and a regiment of Union Army officers lead by Lt. Trent Gephart (Sam Worthington). I know what y’all are thinking: whoa, Worthington works outside of the Avatar franchise! The 2nd group are an Apache tribe going through division/conflict; 2 sons of a chief have differing views on how to deal w/ the White settlers (who are growing w/ each day). The 3rd grp incl. a horse trader, Hayes Ellison (Costner); he doesn’t ride into the story until 1 hr. goes by. He comes to a small mining town and meets a prostitute, Marigold (Abbey Lee), who is taking care of the baby of Ellen Harvey (Jenna Malone), while she goes on some business w/ her hubby (Michael Angarano). The 4th grp. is a wagon train heading to the (fictional) town of Horizon; these settlers are lead by Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson). No, that is NOT a joke- they expect us to believe that Wilson belongs in a historical piece! There are 2 British/snobby/clueless marrieds who are objects of humor.

There are maybe 3 scenes which carry some interest, thanks to Danny Huston (a Union general), Michael Rooker (a Union officer), and Jamie Campbell Bower (a gunslinger/son of a crime family). Bower also the only actor who looks like he’s having fun w/ his baddie role. Huston seems to be a fan of Westerns; he recently played the mayor in The Dead Don’t Hurt (2023). Most of the dialogue here is SO cliched that it’d make a HS English teacher cringe. There is little to no character development, so we end up caring nothing re: the plight of these folks. Worst of all is the the editing; it is disjointed, so creates confusion in the audience! The music is TOO grand in scale for such a lame movie.

[1] Sorry, Mr. Costner, I cannot recall seeing a more disjointed 3-hr saga in my life. There’s no opportunity for character development or story continuity, and to be able to keep track of where all the characters are (some go missing without explanation) nope… You might need a spreadsheet to keep track.

[2] The US Army parts felt a little too modern. The use of the word “indigenous” just did not sound right for that time. Also we have never been shown US Army compassion from that time period before.

The playful addition of African Americans seems very modern as well. No doubt they were there, but living harmoniously with whites is hard to believe.

[3] I was particularly irritated by the inappropriate loud glorious/triumphant music played during the Indian village massacre and several more minute at the end. It really upset me they would play such music over the top of the horrific depictions of violence against innocent women and children. It was like they were celebrating it.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“The Tarnished Angels” (1957) starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, & Dorothy Malone

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In 1930, a former WWI hero, Roger Schumann (Robert Stack), has resorted to flying in (potentially dangerous) air shows. His wife/assistant, LaVerne (Dorothy Malone), young son Jack, and friend/mechanic Jiggs (Jack Carson) come on the road w/ Roger, as he pursues his passion. Burke Devlin (Rock Hudson) is a New Orleans reporter who wants to do an article on Roger when the group come to perform at a local circus. Burke is soon drawn to LaVerne, whose story he finds more fascinating than Roger’s! This is a (lesser-known) film directed by Douglas Sirk (known for his Technicolor melodramas AKA “women’s pictures”). This was shot in B&W and reunites 3 actors from Written on the Wind (1956); I found it more interesting than that movie.

There is little glamor to be found in The Tarnished Angels (based on a novel by William Faulkner), as these characters are disillusioned by their pasts and barely making a living. The themes here MAY remind some of the noir genre. Malone (an underrated talent) wears clothing from the late ’50s, NOT the ’30s Depression era (which doesn’t detract from the film). Hudson (known for his “hunk” status) is somewhat disheveled; he wears rough-hewn blazers and baggy cardigans. Hudson stretches himself as an actor; Sirk was the director that made him a big star. The flying scenes are tense and exciting- even to modern eyes!

[1] Taking as its subject the uncommon lifestyles of the participants in the popular flying-circus entertainments of the 20’s and 30’s, it’s not long before the familiar Sirk themes of conflicting passions, human weakness and sacrifice raise their heads above the parapet.

[2]…mostly watch it for Rock Hudson’s intelligent performance.

[3] I found the film to be solid, and would rank it among the very best of Sirk’s work. Truly a must-see. Not quite a noir, but still on the edges of that world.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“The Dead Don’t Hurt” (2023) starring Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Solly McLeod, Garret Dillahunt, & Danny Huston

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The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men. -Excerpt from synopsis from Shout! Studios

I saw an online ad for this feminist Western drama recently; it was written/directed by Viggo Mortensen. He also composed the musical score- wow, talk about wearing many hats! Though this story is set in the 1860s (Civil War era), it asks Qs that men and women are facing today. At the center is this issue: How does one navigate a romantic relationship w/o losing one’s own personality and independence? To add weight here, the leads are already mature (middle-aged) and have lived according to their own wishes for some time. In an NPR interview, Mortensen (who plays Holger Olsen) said that Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is partly based on his (French-Canadian) mother: “As w/ her time, she was a mother and a housewife. But she was not going to let anyone tell her how to think.”

Mortensen did NOT intend to act in the film, BUT “late in the game,” the actor who’d originally been cast left to work on a different project. Krieps (originally from Luxembourg; based in Berlin) suggested he take the role himself. Olsen was then aged up and made Danish (like his own father). The war which Olsen fought in was presumably the First Schleswig War (1848-1851) in which Denmark fought the German Federation for control of the regions of Schleswig-Holstein; Denmark was the winner. As he noted on The Late Show, the knight that appears in young Vivienne’s dreams carries a familiar sword: Anduril- Aragorn’s sword from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).

The film has some beautiful landscapes/scenery; it was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia and Mexico (w/ a mostly Mexican crew). Four languages are heard: English, French, Spanish and Danish; in some scenes, languages are mixed w/in the same line of dialogue. Y’all immigrants and 1st gen Americans will relate to that! The cast is international: in San Fran, we see “old money” gentleman Lewis Cartwright (Colin Morgan: Irish); in the Western town, Mr. Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt: American) is the powerful businessman; his son Weston (w/ a strong resemblance to Dillahunt- Solly MacLeod) is a newcomer from Scotland seen in S1 of House of the Dragon); and Mayor Schiller (Danny Huston: American/son of John Huston). These men are on the taller side (close to/over 6 ft.) Fans of Deadwood (HBO) will recognize two characters played by W. Earl Brown and Ray McKinnon.

I thought that there was great (natural) chemistry btwn Mortensen and Krieps; you really buy them as a couple! Krieps is slim and tall (5’9″), so well-matched physically w/ Mortensen. The film takes time to get going w/ its plot; we get to know the characters. There are time jumps, BUT I didn’t think those posed any problem. The main issue is its pacing; otherwise, I was impressed w/ the film as a whole. I look forward to seeing more of Mortensen’s directing!

“God’s Own Country” (2017) starring Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, & Ian Hart

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Are you looking for a man in drama, 6’2”, blue eyes, and unconventional looks? After seeing British actor Josh O’Connor in Challengers (2024), I started to look into his earlier work. Wow, I fell (even more) in love w/ his acting! The actor (now 34 y.o.) is from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire (southern England). However, when 1st time feature writer/director (Francis Lee) watched his audition tape for Johnny (w/ a V convincing accent), he assumed O’Connor was from Yorkshire (northern England). O’Connor’s mother is from Yorkshire, though he said she doesn’t have that specific accent. Lee said: “he is one of those rare actors who is a real shape-shifter.” This movie was inspired by Lee’s own experiences of growing up/working on his family farm; he is also an openly gay man. To prepare for their roles, the two lead actors lived/worked on a farm for 2 weeks (prior to filming). All scenes w/ the animals are real; the movie was shot chronologically on location at a working farm near Lee’s childhood home. Georghe (Alec Secareanu) was inspired by a Romanian immigrant who Lee met some years ago and that man’s experiences of racism while working in the UK. Lee (who insisted that a Romanian was needed for this role) flew 3 actors in from Bucharest to London to screentest w/ O’Connor.

Johnny Saxby (O’Connor- then 26 y.o.) is a young man in his early 20s responsible for the running of his family’s small farm. His grandmother, Deidre (Gemma Jones), takes care of their humble house. Johnny’s father, Martin (Ian Hart), has gone through serious health issues, so decides to take on a hired hand. Though he doesn’t speak much (repressing his thoughts and emotions), it’s obvious that Johnny resents his father’s decision. Unlike Johnny, who projects a cold/forbidding demeanor, Georghe is a warm presence in the small household. He carries himself w/ quiet dignity and humility, as well as being a capable farmhand; this impresses Martin and Deidre. When the two men have to go off alone to a secluded area to look after the sheep, tensions boil over in unexpected ways!

There is a LOT of talk re: toxic masculinity, male loneliness, and racism/prejudice (faced by migrant workers) today; this film delves into such topics (yet NOT in a heavy-handed/Hollywood manner). The weight of responsibilities has made Johnny bitter, angry, and a (possible) alcoholic. While his old schoolmates attend college and hang out in pubs, Johnny spends time w/ cows, sheep, and random hookups. As an outsider to this land, Georghe sees the (natural) beauty and appreciates it. There are a few scenes in this film which MAY put off sensitive viewers; as many viewers have pointed out, it’s BOTH gritty and lovely (in its own way). Lee and his cinematographer (Joshua James Richards) worked for 4 mos, planning every shot before production. O’Connor won Best Actor for his work at the 2017 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

[1] Like Brokeback, this is a genre-defying, coming of age, drama-rich love story.

[2] All in all, next to downplaying the overly popular romantic view on running a farm, this movie also does a good job of introducing a fresh take on gay relationships.

[3] Before I knew it I was in Yorkshire. The silence was deafening, emotions unspoken. Then, Josh O’Connor – a miraculous actor – I didn’t know who the actor was and that helped enormously to get sucked into his world – exterior and interior – and to live his experience fully. Alec Secareanu produces the perfect emotional blow. Roughness and tenderness in a stunning, totally believable performance that, I know will live in my mind forever.

[4] Absolutely stunning film that is now right up there among my all-time favourites. It’s sensual and romantic; and raw and ugly at the same time which is actually quite an accomplishment. The partnership between O’Connor and Secareanu is incredibly effective; the magnificent Ian Hart made me cry and Gemma Jones is amazing as well.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Last Train from Gun Hill” (1959) starring Kirk Douglas & Anthony Quinn

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The (Native American) wife of marshal Matt Morgan (Kirk Douglas) is raped/murdered by two young/white men while on a ride w/ their 7 y.o. son. The killers leave behind a saddle w/ the initials “CR” on it; Matt recognizes this as property of Craig Belden (Anthony Quinn), his old friend. Craig (now a cattle baron in the town of Gun Hill) is sympathetic to Morgan’s situation, until he realizes that one of the murderers is his own son, Rick (Earl Holliman). Craig refuses to hand over his son to Matt, but the lawman is determined to capture Rick and his friend (Lee) by the 9PM train. Soon, Matt learns that the townspeople (incl. the sheriff) won’t cooperate; Craig’s henchmen are looking to kill him! He finds ally in Linda (Carolyn Jones), a single woman he met on the train.

Sheriff Bartlett: Far as I’m concerned, you can go out on the street and get yourself killed anytime you want to, but, you know something, 40 years from now the weeds’ll grow just as pretty on my grave as they will on yours. Nobody’ll even remember that I was yellow and you died like a fool. That’s your long view, son. Always take the long view.
Marshal Matt Morgan: I’ve got two warrants, and I’m gonna serve them. I’m leavin’ town with two men, and the long view is this: don’t try to stop me!

This drama (directed by John Sturges- best remembered for his Westerns) has dark/realistic elements; as this was made in the late ’50s, Hollywood was opening up more. The movie (which is available to stream for free) starts w/ a (tense/harrowing) chase which results in a wife/mother being attached; her young son is able to ride away. Later on, Linda breaks up w/ Craig, revealing that it was his (physical) abuse which resulted in her hospitalization. It’s rare to see such a woman character in the Western genre!

[1] …something of a coup having two heavyweight stars of the period like Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn playing the central roles. […]

With more than a nod to Delmer Daves’ “3.10 To Yuma” (1957), LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL is a splendid well structured dramatic western with equally splendid performances from Douglas and Quinn. The supporting cast are good too! […] Adding greatly to this taut western drama is Dimitri Tiomkin’s outstanding music.

[2] Earl Holliman showed great promise in an early role as the spoiled rotten son of Mr. Belden. I’m surprised that he did not become a bigger star as a character actor throughout his career. And the late Carolyn Jones turned in a strong performance as Linda. Definitely up there in the same ranking of great classic westerns and one of the best efforts of John Sturges.

[3] …impressive in the script, and through John Sturges’ steadfast professionalism, is how there’s the tension between law and the personal, the immediate draw of a gun draw to solve anything, and the bitterness of real vengeance…

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews