The Hi-Lo Country

source: The Hi-Lo Country

The Hi-Lo Country

Utterly boring soft-western about a bunch of `real' cowboys on a `modern' farm after World War II. In some old black-and-white films I have problems telling the various female characters apart. In this movie, it's the men. Big Boy, Little Boy, Pete, Steve, now and then one of them dies, but nobody really cares. Sorry, this movie didn't keep me awake at all. I can't imagine that Sam Peckinpah would have been able to make a better movie out of a story of such poor interest.

Overall I enjoyed this movie. It wasn't great, and yet it wasn't bad. I found Woody Harrelson's acting lacking; something about it just didn't make me believe him as the brash, swaggering cowboy. Billy Crudup's acting was very good and believable. Crudup did such a good job that it made me wish that they'd used someone as good as him for Harrelson's part; it would have the movie a lot better. The story was a bit hard to swallow; Crudup was in love with the same woman, Patricia Arquette, that Harrelson was, but she was too unlikable and shallow and I couldn't understand how he could have the hots for such a loser of a woman. The ending had a nice twist; the way the movie started it made you think it was going to end one way but it ended differently than you were led to believe. The ending was also bittersweet which gave it a nice finish.

If you rent "The Hi-Lo Country", you're not ripping yourself off; you'll have a decent movie to watch. But what struck me after it was over was the unnerving feeling that it should have been so much better. The prize, a top-notch Oscar contender, was within their grasp, and they fumbled it. Not all aspects of the film miss their mark; there are parts that are much better than others. The professional critics have pointed them out, and they're on target. For one, Woody Harrelson gives a great performance, one of his best. But nobody else does, not even the usually excellent Billy Crudup and Bridget Fonda. For another, the cinematography that highlights the beautiful New Mexico landscape is great. But this is not nearly enough; The direction and editing are languid and loose. The tension inherent in the story slips away at key moments. As a result, the movie does not achieve the heights it could have achieved. If only Sam Peckinpah had lived a little longer

Set in the late 1940s, The Hi-Lo Country is a strange mix of drama, romance, western, buddy movie and something that can be best described as an Americana version of Latin America's magical realism: there's even a witch telling the future, and her prophecy fulfills! The movie does not offer much in terms of action: it rather sets out to be a "slice-of-life" piece, taking a look both at the events and the changes occurring in all the lead characters. I can understand this kind of approach can be disliked by some viewers; still, I found this movie interesting and somewhat underrated (picked it one evening on the cable). If you like a movie that emphasizes the mood instead of the actual action and with a strong cast ensemble (watch for Northern Exposure's Darren Burrows!), this is for you. 7 out of 10.

The Hi-Lo Country has it all: male bonding, bar fights, passion and obsession. The characters reflect the brutality and the charm of old ways which refuse to die. Great performances by Woody Harrelson and the younger Billy Crudup who star as lifelong friends whose world made of land and cattle start changing under their feet after their return from World War II. The Hi-Lo Country is an involving, intense and somewhat nostalgic western which tries to abandon traditional plot lines while using all the classic western cliches. Strongly advised to people who like some "melo" in their "drama".

This is a wonderful movie produced by Martin Scorcese's group and is the best contemporary western I've seen since "Unforgiven". In some ways it is like a Cormac McCarthy novel brought to life. It has a mature and literate screenplay by Walon Green, is well acted by Billy Crudup and Woody Harrelson, has strong supporting performances by a large and perfectly cast group of actors (including Patricia Arquette, Katy Jurado, Sam Elliott, and Penelope Cruz), is beautifully photographed by Oliver Stapleton against spectacular backdrops in New Mexico, is very well directed by Stephen Frears, and has a haunting score by the superb Carter Burwell. Only an overly sentimental last scene weakens an otherwise great film, but the movie is still well worth seeing.

I was surprised and disappointed to see this film only get a 6.0 in the database. I am giving it a 7 because Penelope Cruz, who I respect as an actress- amazing beauty aside- doesn't quite fit into this film. Otherwise, the directing from Stephen Frears, who has tried (it seems) as many genres as Howard Hawks, is solid. Billy Crudup, Patty Arquette and even Woody Harrelson (still want my $ back from NBK even though it's been a decade now!) is quite good in this. It is very hard to make Westerns these days, and I'm sure the box office from this film won't help. But, along with "Dead Man" and "Unforgiven," this film proves it can be done. Worth a look, especially for those of us ( a minority in my generation- GEN X) who still apprecaite the Western as a genre and as an art form.