Ed's Review Dot Com

Patriot Pictures,

Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Devon Abner, Adriana Barraza, Angie Cepeda

Scott Briggs (Robert Duvall) is a rancher with a long buried secret. He has two sons played by James Franco and Josh Hartnett. A lady Texas Ranger, Samantha Payne (Luciana Pedraza) locks onto a 15 year old case of a missing boy, and sets her mind to solving the cold case by proving that there it was a murder, but there is much deeper trouble in the past that just won’t be buried any longer.

This is a dramatic western story that really hits home. It features the usual hard headed and stubborn old man played so well by Robert Duvall. He has the gay son (Franco) and the good son (Hartnett) that wants nothing more than to please his father. The story is very intense and deep, and leaves a lasting impression. It is very touching and will move you. The acting is intense and it’s an all star cast. Nothing is black and white, but all shades of gray in-between. This reminds me of Duvall’s film from 2014, “The Judge” as Duvall plays a very similar character. This kind of crotchety old man is right in his wheel house these days. But it does give you a lot to think about, and I must admit that I enjoyed this modern take on western justice, honor, integrity, and the opposites of these. A morality tale, as most westerns are, perhapss the hardest thing to live with is guilt.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

VT Films, Flywheel & Shyster, Globomedia Cine,

Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irvine, Angie Cepeda, Luis Tosar, Joaquín Cosio, Javier Gutiérrez

Red Bovine *(Robert Duvall) is a cantankerous old rancher in Texas who is about to lose his ranch. He is not going to go out without a fight though. Estranged from his son who lives in New York, on the day they came to take his house, his grandson Gally (Jeremy Irvine) shows up. He’s dropped out of college for a while, and wants to get to know his Grandfather since he’s never heard much at all about him from his father, and what he did wasn’t good. They start off on a road trip and end up going to Mexico for a fine night of women and drink when a coincidence puts them afoul of the Mexican drug cartel that wants to kill them all. With a hopeful singer/stripper in tow (Angie Cepeda) they use their best skills to stay ahead of the killer that are after them.

This is a rough and violent story, but one with a lot of heart. This is one of the best roles I’ve seen for Robert Duvall in many years. It’s perfect for him, as a grumpy old goat who might remind you of Walter Matthau in “Grumpy Old Men”, he’s a softie at heart. As tough as he tries to be, we know he’s a sweetheart underneath, and it shows. He pulls this off perfectly. This is a buddy picture of a Grandpa and a Grandson he doesn’t even know, getting to know one another and find a way to build a bridge. But the unexpected events gives us a real suspenseful trip through the dangerous back streets of Mexico. I found this to be a very interesting story, with a great West Texas feel, and a great script, with an excellent cast. There is so many good things going for this film, that I don’t really know why it was not that successful. It’s an Indie film, and perhaps it didn’t have the budget for promotion, but I was really pleased with the quality of this story. I was riveted throughout, both with the relationship between the three leads and the suspense of the chases and outsmarting of the bad guys. It was a really good film, and though it’s fairly adult content, it was an excellent picture and one I can recommend.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog