Open Range
Dir: Kevin Costner
2003
****
You can't beat a good Western and Open Range is a good Western. It has all that a modern Western has over the old Westerns but with the heart of a classic Western. The performances are strong, the direction is sound, the attention to detail is perfect and it's pretty light on cliches. Best of all though, it has a great script, the relationships are both believable and honest, the supporting characters aren't all drunk gun-slingers either which is nice and it was also nice to see a confrontation in a busy cafe rather than the typical rough saloon. Costner gets the pace of the story just right, he develops his characters and in turn builds the conclusion of the film with just the right level of intensity and intrigue so that the climax does not disappoint.