Made in 2008, Appaloosa tried, and for the most part succeeded, bringing Hollywood westerns to their simplistic roots. The plot is set in eponymous fictional town at Old West, whose citizens are at the mercy of evil local rancher (played by Jeremy Irons) and his cowboys who engage in murder, rape, robbery and all kinds of abuse. Protagonist, played by Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, are two experienced gunslingers hired to "solve" that problem; their task is complicated with the arrival of an attractive female pianist (played by Renee Zellwegger). Directed by Ed Harris, Appaloosa features genre conventions stripped to their core, but presented with very good acting and mostly successful combination of action, buddy buddy dynamics and melodrama. The only flaw is in the film's unusual length which makes the last segment too slow and less interesting than previous parts.
RATING: 6/10
