3:10 to Yuma

Man, so freaking close to being that first 10 out of 10 flick for 2007. That means 3:10 to Yuma is another great movie that falls just short of hitting every note. But those 2 sentences will be the extent of my whining in this review. I will take some time to explain why the ending misplaced its logic along the way but it will be written in the form of a critique and not the words of a petulant child. Anywho Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a rare legit Western, that alone brings me through the door.

I never list Russell Crowe as one of my favorite actors, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the best actors working today. The man is completely in his prime and performs on a level that few can reach. His work in 3:10 to Yuma may not best Gladiator but it sure as hell is better than Virtuosity. Yes I am bashing Virtuosity again and yes this will not be the last time it is mentioned this year. You just wait for American Gangster when the dream team of Crowe and Denzel reunite on the 12-year anniversary of that masterpiece. Man, I cannot believe that has been 12 years since Virtuosity stole Christmas for the entirety of Whoville. So … back to 3:10 to Yuma, Crowe is able to make Ben Wade just the right amount of evil while still having the intelligence to be in control of nearly every situation he faces. Even when he spends nearly 2/3rds of the movie in shackles, you still feel that he is the one calling the shots. You see him working the angles with every single one of his captors, you see him pocket the fork during dinner, you see how even when he kills it is fast and serves a purpose, and even though it strained credibility in the end, Crowe is able to show the growing changes in his relationship with Christian Bale’s Dan Evans. This is definitely one of the best performances that will show up this year. Even though I spent a large chunk of space on Crowe that is not to say that Bale did not hold up his end of the bargain. Christian Bale is like a character actor who has somehow been able to not get stuck with that tag and become a headliner. He is always solid. Bale has definitely become the go-to actor if you need to cast a one-legged Civil War veteran who can no longer support his family. I enjoyed the desperation that is constantly beneath the surface for Bale throughout 3:10 to Yuma. Because once again when the climax of the film shows up, you better be attached to the characters since the storyline is not going to hold up to intense scrutiny.

There are 2 more actors that I need to highlight. It is always nice to see Peter Fonda. Even better when he gets to play a bastard Pinkerton hired to take down Ben Wade. Like the great Al Sweargen would say “Pinkerton cocksucker”. Fonda meets a worthy end to his character. "Even bad men love their mamas." Great line. The other name that needs to be mentioned is Ben Foster. I don’t know where he has been hiding this performance, but 3:10 to Yuma is easily the best thing I have ever seen him in. If Ben Wade is evil, Charlie Prince is downright psychotic. And this isn’t just because of the body count; there were always bad intentions behind Foster’s eyes. Plus he killed Luke Wilson, which was sad because Luke seemed to be having a good time messing around in the Old West. There were multiple actors performing at the top of their games here.

Screw it, I held it together long enough. Why the hell was Crowe following Bale through town once the bullets started flying? I can understand a growing respect that leads to not wanting to see the man killed, but actively helping your captor? Was it that difficult to end this story? Damnit, the ending is so important to get right and it fouled up what could have been a classic.

Now that I get that out of my system, 3:10 to Yuma kicked a large quantity of ass. I have always been partial to Westerns, mainly because when they are done right they are so damn awesome, so I was already excited before the trailers ended. Then throw in some great performances headlined by Crowe and I have no real complaints. Don’t take my bitching about the ending seriously, 3:10 to Yuma is worthy of paying for admission and a great start to the home stretch of 2007.

9 out of 10