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

Hannibal Pictures, Marco Polo Production, Patriot Pictures,

Nicolas Cage, Rachel Nichols, Peter Stormare, Danny Glover

Paul Maguire (Nicholas Cage) is now a respectable good citizen, but he has a very, very violent past. When his daughter turns up missing with no clue, Paul sets out to find her at all costs, even if it means getting his old gang back together to take on the biggest criminals in the city to get to the bottom of the story.

A new Nicholas Cage film popped up in my “recommended films” and I had never heard of this one. I streamed it just to see what it was all about. I was rather caught by surprise. This is, on one hand, a typical Nicholas Cage “bad-ass film” where he bites off his words and wreaks some havoc on some pretty evil characters, just like in the GhostRider films. But on the other hand there was a great deal of sophistication in the twists and turns as this film unwinds. Cage was actually really well suited for this role, and he did a really good job. The sorrow and pain that he can show, along with the extreme anger and violence, and the way he can switch back and forth in a second, was really grabbing. There is a lot of suspense as we work along with him to determine where his daughter went, and why she hasn’t come back home yet. The surprises are real, and the twists and turns keep you going. All in all this was a rather enjoyable time getting pulled into this mystery and trying to figure out the truth. I must say I enjoyed it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog