Written by: David Jacobson
Directed by: David Jacobson
Starring: Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A man who may or may not be a cowboy begins dating a rebellious teen.
Verdict
Ed Norton does a great job with a character study about Harlan, a cowboy in California. This is a subdued movie where we wonder if he is living a fantasy or is he really a cowboy? Harlan's story just doesn't add up as we learn more about him. It's a great character played by a great actor.
Watch it.
Review
I've wanted to see this for a while, being an Ed Norton fan. Norton always provides a great performance, and this is no different.
As the story progressed, I tried to figure out if Harlan (Ed Norton) is delusional or simple. He claims to be a cowboy, wearing boots and a hat, but he works at a gas station. We see him playing guns in his apartment with his dual revolvers, ducking around doors and behind chairs. Is he exceedingly polite to offset his shortcomings or has he turned his life into a fantasy?
He meets Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) and quits his job on the spot to join her on a beach trip. She falls for him almost immediately, and her father, Wade (David Morse), doesn't approve. Wade is depicted as a bad guy, at least through Tobe's perspective, but he's just a single father trying to cope with a rebellious daughter. Despite Harlan being exceedingly polite and respectful, Wade knows there is something off about him. He's the only one that can see through Harlan.
The harder Wade pushes Tobe away from Harlan, the more she wants to be with him. Tobe and Harlan go horseback riding, and despite Harlan's claim to know the horse's owner, it seems like a lie. We see Harlan write a letter to somebody, and he spins the truth just a bit.
Is Harlan fixated on Tobe because she's one of the few people that didn't laugh him off? All of her friends laughed at Harlan because he is an oddity. He claims to be a cowboy, he has a weird accent, and he's exceedingly polite. That's just not typical in California.
Harlan wants to be somebody, and it begins to seem that he will do something crazy to prove it. He's so far into this fantasy that even Tobe's surprise turns to horror when he urges her to run away with him.
I'm not sure if Harlan was a predator waiting for the right prey, someone to show interest and give him a window to worm his way into their life, or if life is just a delusion and he doesn't see reality clearly. It's never quite clear, and you can argue either way. Harlan isn't as simple as he initially seemed and his situation escalates towards the end.
It's a cautionary tale. Don't believe the people telling you what you want to hear, and realize that the person opposing you may have your best interests in mind. Harlan is a tragic figure, debatable, just trying to cope with life. It's easier to live a delusional fantasy than to face reality.
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