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STEVE PERSALLKevin Costner tries to bring a little gritty reality to the Old West, but Open Range falls short, even as it runs a bit long.
Open Range is located somewhere in the midlands between classically triumphant Westerns and more recent films that deconstructed the myths. There aren't any magnificent moments deserving Elmer Bernstein's brand of musical punch, and only a few forced instances of dark regret straight out of Unforgiven and The Wild Bunch.
Even with its determination to be nothing like any Western we've seen, Open Range turns out to be everything we can expect by now, and less. It's a character study of stock characters. Director Kevin Costner, who also co-stars, can't bring himself to change much about the movies he loved growing up, except for a striking approach to gunfights that, for all its authenticity, had a preview audience laughing at the clumsy action.
The last half-hour of Open Range, when the bullets finally fly, is evidence of what Costner could have created: a gritty anti-Western in which nobody ducks for cover and the townsfolk know better than to hang around watching the action. People die sloppy in Open Range, just like they probably did in the real Old West, with weapons that miss vital organs and inexperience inspiring reckless decisions. It's like watching the weighty sword fight in Rob Roy that also disappointed some viewers accustomed to flashier derring-do.
I liked the fight in Rob Roy and I liked the somewhat climactic gun battle in Open Range. Somewhat climactic because, as a director, Costner still doesn't know when to call it a wrap. This movie is "only" 135 minutes long - nearly an hour less than Costner's usual work - yet it still feels padded, especially after the last bad guy dies. The movie would be better off by eliminating the romantic angle, but Costner, the actor, likes showing that side of himself.
Costner's character, Charley Waite, has no business falling in love. Charley doesn't talk much, letting his cattle drive partner Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) take care of the frontier homilies. Charley also has a troubled past he never told Boss about until he spills his guts at the appropriate campfire, entirely for the plot's benefit.
But Charley does feel affection for Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), a doctor's assistant kept busy by patching up Charley's friends.
Costner does a nice job of reigning in his charm to play Charley's darker side, kind of like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven although the material isn't as trenchant here. And there simply isn't any chemistry between Bening and Costner. At one point, Charley must choose between Sue's safety and his desire to kill, a hefty bit of drama played so casually that it barely registers. Missing little moments like that dilutes Charley's menace, making his conversion to gentle suitor less effective. Costner's performance, like most of Open Range, is admirable but ultimately flat.
Duvall steals the show with a grizzled, charismatic portrayal of a man too long in the saddle. Most of the role is written as a sagebrush philosopher, but Duvall handles it with ease and a twinkle when it's time to saddle up. Boss isn't looking for a fight until two of his cowboys are critically injured by a brutal land baron (Michael Gambon). Even then he won't go as far as Charley wants to take it. Tension between the two never rises, so a fleeting conflict is as easy to dismiss as the romantic angle.
James Muro's cinematography is suitably majestic, although the sets and costumes are too fresh-looking to be credible. The town looks like a movie set, plain and simple, when a more lived-in appearance wouldn't be as jarring. Costner tries to compensate for the manufactured realism with a lot of rain machines and colorful sidekicks like Percy the stable guy (the late Michael Jeter) and impetuous teen cowpoke Buttons (Diego Luna, Y Tu Mama Tambien).
All trappings aside, something tells me that Open Range is a more accurate representation of Western conflict than John Wayne ever displayed. The Duke's version is much more enjoyable. Costner doesn't have much story to tell but does it earnestly, creating what was identified in Blazing Saddles as authentic frontier gibberish.
Open Range
Grade: C
Director: Kevin Costner
Cast: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo
Screenplay: Craig Storper, based on the novel by Lauran Paine
Rating: R; violence, profanity
Running time: 135 min.