3:10 to Yuma

I hate westerns. I think it’s all the dirt and dust that bother me. I’m the son of a clean-freak; it’s in my nature. I’m also not a big fan of horse-riding and age-old western clichés. I think the only westerns I can stand are Tombstone (mostly for Val Kilmer’s performance) and Back to the Future Part III (probably not even considered a western in most circles). It was for this reason that I was planning on skipping 3:10 to Yuma. But after it’s opening weeks, I got sucked into the peer pressure. People kept telling me to see this film, that it was fantastic and I wouldn’t be disappointed. So I caved. And after leaving the theatre I came to the conclusion that 3:10 to Yuma was a good film but not a great film.

The thing that made me enjoy this film were the acting abilities of Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Ben Foster. I’m not a fan of Russell Crowe as a person; he seems to be a bully who thinks he’s better than everyone else. So I almost get annoyed when I find myself charmed by his brilliant performances. His job as the disarming villain Ben Wade is simply fantastic. His charisma and charm just leap off the screen in all his interactions. Mixed with this magnetism are flashes of brutal violent behaviour, but I feel Crowe has made all his ruthless acts justified in his own way. He does make you root for the bad guy.

Christian Bale was also a draw for me to see this film but I must say that his job in Rescue Dawn was far superior. Bale gives some truly moving speeches in this film and really gives the audience the chance to empathize with his Dan Evans character. I guess that’s what makes this film so interesting, you end up caring about the hero and villain equally.

The surprise breakout performance however comes from Ben Foster. This guy is creepy as Charlie Prince, Wade’s second in command. Foster has done well with his off-the-edge performances, this one reminds me of his insane turn in Hostage a few years back. Foster is able to command the screen when he’s on it, even taking some focus away from Crowe and Bale. That’s quite a feat. There is also some fine acting work from Peter Fonda and Alan Tudyk (Serenity, Knocked Up).

What keeps 3:10 to Yuma from being a great film is the plodding storyline and some unexplained history. It kind of took me a while to get into the film, but the story got a little better once Wade was getting transferred. I found myself caring a lot more about the conversations rather than the events leading to the end of the movie. The close-up shots during the heavy dialogue portions is what kept me interested. What bothered me the most was the fact that Ben Wade was able to keep his posse in check. Wade mentions that he must’ve done something rotten to get that much respect but Charlie Prince seems like a loose cannon. With Wade possessing a conscience, how would he be able to put a leash on the ruthless Prince. Speaking of Foster’s cold-blooded character, it also annoys me when people trust that bad guys will let them go if they give up vital information. How stupid.

If you like westerns or Russell Crowe, I’m sure you will love 3:10 to Yuma. This film has everything a cowboy or cowgirl is looking for. And it looks like westerns are making another comeback with The Assassination of Jesse James opening soon, but I’ll just let others watch it first and then pressure me later. Hey, I freely admit that I’m a yellow-bellied western coward. Thank God I wasn’t born in the 1800’s.