I’m not a very big fan of Kevin Costner. Ever since he won all those awards for Dances With Wolves, I view him as a self-important gas bag. See Waterworld and The Postman for proof. Better yet, don’t.
That said, I really wouldn’t be surprised if the above is how he picks his projects. These are the only three genres where he seems to be of any use.
But every once in a while, there are flashes of brilliance and I’m reminded why he won all those awards in the first place.
Cami and I went to see Open Range on Friday and it is easily one of the best movies I’ve seen all year.
The film is a little slow going at first, but it establishes the vastness of the American West with panoramic views you can positively drink in.
The performances aren’t half bad, either. For once, Costner plays someone a little shadier. Robert Duvall delivers a great turn as an old salt cowboy with a trouble-making streak.
I was particularly amazed by the final gun battle. It’s not choreographed like so many other shoot-outs. Men stumble, the miss, they scatter like cockroaches. And the blast of those revolvers sounds like a thunderclap. The violence in those scenes is jaw-dropping in their brutality and realism.
The romance between Costner’s character and that of Annette Bening’s seemed a little forced, but you kind of go along with it. Also, there were two farewell scenes between the two characters when the first one would have worked just fine. The second one is tacked on for that “ride into the sunset” finale.
All in all, it was a great film. It may not look like your cup of tea, but it comes highly recommended by yours truly. Check it out.
Posters are continuing to be shipped out. I’ve had two orders this week with a third payment by mail all lined up.
Don’t miss your opportunity to order one before they’re gone. Once the stock is depleated, I’m not making any more!
Just a friendly reminder from me to you!..
This is kind of old news, but I’m playing catch up this week, so bear with me.
On Monday, rumors started flying that Kevin Costner had been cast in Zack Snyder’s reboot of Superman. It didn’t take very long before Latino Review reported that he would be playing Jonathan “Pa” Kent – Superman’s adoptive father.
I think this is a mistake. When I think of Costner, I don’t think of him as a father figure. Nor do I ascribe a nurturing moral center to his list of character attributes.
I think Costner would have been better utilized playing Clark Kent’s brassy Daily Planet Editor Perry White. It’s a bit part, sure. Probably not worth Costner’s time. But it’s a better fit.
Costner is one of those actors that everyone WANTS to like, but he’s got a bit of an a-hole streak in him. I put him in the same category that I put Hugh Grant in – an actor who tried to win people over with charm and good looks but who is ultimately more effective playing self-centered rouges.
I can easily see Costner wearing a vest, chewing on a pipe and barking orders at a grown up Clark Kent than I can see him wearing bib overalls, chewing on a wheat stalk and giving the teenage Superman advice about doin’ what’s right.
Costner has a slow, considerate nature in his performances that I think might have blinded Snyder to the opportunity right under his nose and made him think he was better for Pa Kent. But in my view, Perry White would have been the more interesting father figure for Costner to pursue.
What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!
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Feb 28, 2011 | SUPERHAMM |