Written by: Brian Duffield and Anthony Tambakis &Joel Edgerton (screenplay), Brian Duffield (story)
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Starring: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, Noah Emmerich, Boyd Holbrook
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
In this western, a woman attempts to save her incapacitated outlaw husband from a gang looking for vengeance.
Verdict
It's not bad, but it's also a lot of wasted potential. There is a much better movie hiding between the writing, directing, and copious flashbacks. The ending undercuts the movie, though Natalie Portman did a good job overall. There are many much better Western movies.
It depends.
Review
The movie began filming over three years ago, and that was after losing the director, cinematography, and Jude Law the day before filming was to begin. Delays forced Michael Fassbender and Bradley Cooper to drop out due to scheduling conflicts and Jake Gyllenhaal declined outright.
With cast and crew dropping out, it raises questions as to what's wrong with this movie, and it definitely has problems.
Is a man falling off the horse the only way to convey he's hurt? Has there ever been a man shot that didn't fall off his horse? Jane's husband, Hammond, rides home slumped on his horse before falling off right at the doorstep.
He's been shot and his former gang is on the way. It's established Jane is tough as she removes the bullets and cauterizes his wounds with black powder.
I wondered if Hammond being shot in the back had any significance. Obviously he was running away, but how he was shot is inconsequential.
Jane must defend her family, but what chance does she have against an entire gang?
 |
| Jane Got a Gun - It could have been better. |
If this movie is about Jane defending her home, we don't need a flashback on how she first met the attacking gang. We're teased with many questions as to how Jane met the Bishop gang, what happened between her and her fiance, and why she married a former Bishop gang member. These questions are to hide the thin plot. Vengeance/defense is a good enough plot, just look at the amazing Unforgiven (1992), but this movie doesn't know how to handle it.
The imagery, production, and costumes look great. The setting feels real, and the actors did a pretty good job, but the story is the weak link.
Employing the mystery of what happened to her isn't a mistake, but relying on flashbacks to tell the story is. Her background should have been revealed through the present day plot. This movie should have been an unflinching march to a deadly conclusion. The flashbacks add very little that we didn't already glean from conversations.
The situation of Jane, her husband Hammond, and her former fiance stuck in a cabin should have generated unbelievable tension, yet it doesn't. The Hateful Eight (2015) did this so well and so recently that the shortcomings in Jane Got a Gun really stand out.
The big battle once the gang arrives isn't bad but it was too easy for the heroes with no consequences.
The biggest mistake of this movie is the happy ending. I was expecting a much bleaker end. Are westerns supposed to have happy endings?
This goes beyond everybody lives happily ever after, to actually undo bad experiences characters have had.
No comments :
Post a Comment