The Missing

Thomas Edison’s novel “The Last Ride” inspired this unusual 1880’s western thriller directed by Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”). Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett are powerful as a father and daughter who join up to rescue Maggie’s (Blanchett) kidnapped daughter Lily (Evan Rachel Wood) from a depraved group of sadistic misfits planning to sell their girl hostages to become prostitutes in Mexico. The story’s emotional and dramatic arcs crisscross above the reconciliation between the tough-minded physician daughter and her roving father, who has adopted the dress and ways of the Indian since his marriage to a now deceased Indian woman. “The Missing” is overly drawn out but benefits much from Jones’s and Blanchett’s absorbing performances. The script is by Ken Kaufman (co-writer on “Space Cowboys,” another Tommy Lee Jones vehicle).
Rated R. 130 mins. (B) (Three Stars)

Appaloosa

When small-town big fish Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) kills a sheriff and his two deputies, the town enlists the peacekeeping services of marshal-for-hire Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and his loyal partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) in this inventive twist on the western genre by jack-of-all-trades Ed Harris. The movie’s big surprise is Renee Zellweger as opportunist tramp Allison French, who captures Virgil’s romantic imagination in spite of her wandering ways. The dialogue is snappy, and the gun action kept on a more realistic level in an enjoyable western that plays with genre convention to humorous and dramatically satisfying results. Jeremy Irons is miscast as the film’s politically driven baddie, but the easy rapport between Harris and Mortensen more than compensates for the minor misstep.

Rated R. 116 mins. (B) (Three Stars)

Sukiyaki Western Django

Japanese suspense maestro Takashi Miike pays homage to the spaghetti western genre with a story born of Sergio Leone’s "A Fistful of Dollars," which was originally inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s "Yojimbo." Set in a visually fascinating late 19^th century setting of a dusty small town, two rival gangs—the red Heike and the white-clothed Genji clan engage in ritualized battles that involve samurai swords and pistols. The film’s Japanese cast speaks English and act out their well-established western characters with a punkish swagger that gives the movie a fun-loving quality. Quentin Tarantino appears in an extended theatrical set piece that introduces the audience to Miike’s lush color palate and winking sense of humor. Tarantino’s awful Japanese accent is as funny as the film’s ironic use of eastern and western symbolism is gratifying.

(First Look Studio) Rated R, 121 mins. (B) (Three Stars)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

New Zealand director Andrew Dominik ("Chopper") tells the story of Jesse James's last days with a patient and unequivocal style that makes us want to turn back history. Based on the 1983 novel by Ron Hansen, Dominik presents a sparse western stripped down to its barest elements. The 34-year-old Jesse James (brilliantly played by Brad Pitt) attempts to settle down with his wife (Mary-Louise Parker) and children under the alias of Thomas Howard, but is unable to escape his celebrity as America's popular train robber. Jesse's least intelligent follower is Bob Ford (Casey Affleck), the younger brother of trusted James Gang member Charley (Sam Rockwell). Casey Affleck gives an outstanding performance that proves him to be a character actor of immense creativity and composure. Cinematographer Roger Deakins ("In the Valley of Elah") utilizes a "big sky" image system as formally composed chapter breaks to seamlessly magnify the story's epic qualities. Intermittent voice-over narration is the single element that keeps perfection at bay in this highly original addition to the western genre.

Rated R, 160 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)

September Dawn

As Mormon bishop Jacob Samuelson, Jon Voight single-handedly elevates this period western about Utah’s September 11, 1857 "Mountain Meadows Massacre," in which 120 settlers were brutally slain by Mormon extremists. However, Voight’s heartfelt performance is all but buried in co-writer/director Christopher Cain’s rush to link the atrocity to current world events in a context of a watercolor melodrama that turns ridiculous with a slow motion climax of violence. During their earnest attempt to pass through a Mormon-occupied area of southern Utah on their way to California, a wagon train of pilgrims gain permission from the suspicious Samuelson to rest in the area for two weeks in anticipation of their journey ahead. Samuelson orders his sons Jonathan and Micah to spy on the pioneers he views as libertines, but the command backfires when Jonathan (Trent Ford) makes friends with the group and falls in love with one of their daughters (Tamara Hope). Under the guidance of Mormon leader Brigham Young (Terence Stamp), Samuelson orders retribution against the past killings of fellow Mormons by convincing a group of Paiute Indians to assail the settlers before taking over the bloody mission. The director’s overreaching attempts at social commentary with hackneyed devices weaken the veracity of the source material and leave the film open to interpretation as propaganda.

Rated R, 111 mins. (C-) (Two Stars)