Monte Walsh
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Movie Reviews of Monte Walsh
Movie Review: When riding fence is all that's left
Summary: 4 Stars
Directed by Simon Wincer (LONESOME DOVE, QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER, CROSSFIRE TRAIL, INTO THE WEST), MONTE WALSH, which won the 2004 Bronze Wrangler Award for Outstanding Television Feature Film, didn't even register as a faint blip on my radar when it was first released. I'm glad that I've since come across it.
Tom Selleck, in the title role, is an aging cowboy at the turn of the 19th century. Arriving back in town after wintering on the range minding a cattle herd, Monte and his trail pardner, Chet Rollins (Keith Carradine), learn that the hard season has broken the backs of the local ranch owners and their spreads are being bought up by a consortium of Eastern dudes. Jobs are scarce, but Walsh and Rollins are hired by Cal Brennan (William Devane), a former owner now managing the consortium's local holding. Cowboys are a dying breed and, as Monte and Chet soon discover, times only get tougher as even the distant bosses can't show a profit.
Ostensibly in Wyoming but actually filmed in the gorgeous Canadian Rockies, MONTE WALSH is a bittersweet tale of a man, supremely talented in a very narrow niche, finding himself outliving his best friend (Chet), his long-time lover, the aging saloon whore "Countess" Martine (Isabella Rossellini), and his own ability to earn a living in the only craft he's ever known.
Except for Selleck, Carradine, and Devane, the film is populated by actors that you may not recognize, though it's good to see again Barry Corbin (Deputy Roscoe Brown in LONESOME DOVE) as Bob the Storekeeper and William Sanderson (Lippy in LONESOME DOVE, E.B Farnum in DEADWOOD, and Larry of NEWHART) as the odiferous ranch cook, Skimpy.
Perhaps the most poignant and tragic scene involves a cowboy nicknamed "Fightin' Joe Hooker" (James Gammon), who, at the end of his career, is relegated to "riding fence", i.e. stringing barbed wire to a line of fence posts stretching endlessly across the landscape - the most hated of ranch jobs. Joe got his moniker from having ridden alongside the real General "Fightin' Joe" Hooker at the Battle of Missionary Ridge back in '64. Now, his spirit crushed by age and lack of prospects, Joe deliberately races his mount over a precipice to their deaths. Only after his demise do the other ranch hands, while going though his meager belongings, learn that his real name was simply Albert Miller.
MONTE WALSH isn't a great film, but I enjoyed it immensely for its perspicacity regarding the end of an era in general, and the challenge confronting the individual at life's useful end in particular. At some point, I suspect, we're all faced with "riding fence".
Movie Review: Moving tribute to the real cowboys.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not a shoot-em-up Western. If that is what you are after, stop reading right here. What this is, is a real heartfelt tribute to the cowboy. The genuine article cowboy. In particular, it charts a group of cowboys through the decline of the golden age of the cowboy, near the end of the 19th Century. Almost the whole of the first half of the movie, there is no plot to speak of, just character exposition building up the picture of the life and character that these men had. Nothing is rushed, and yet it is never dull, thanks to an intelligent script. There are humorous moments and great lines, but plenty of pathos and melancholy too, as the characters all deal with the end of an era in their own ways. We see the cowboy-turned-outlaw, the cowboy-turned-storekeeper, the cowboy-turned-floor sweeper... but most of all we see the cowboy turned into legend. As the plot kicks in, there is nothing contrived about it, but it all feeds into the central idea of examining what men do when their purpose is taken away from them.
The movie benefits from some great performances from some classic character actors such as William Devane and Barry Corbin, as well as a brilliant star turn from Tom Selleck who has never been better. It also benefits from the stunning scenery - ironically not in Wyoming as the movie suggests, but shot in Canada. The sweeping vistas, free of any trace of civilization, set against a backdrop of the Rockies, are stunning and superbly photographed.
What pulls this above it's TV-movie-of-the-week origins is the sincerity poured into it by all concerned, and not least by the prolific director Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove, Quigley Down Under... and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles! ) and executive producer Tom Selleck. This fills the movie with those little, almost subliminal moments which make it feel real.
The result is no classic big screen film, but a perfectly judged and understated homage to a bygone era. It leaves us with the notion, that though the golden age is over, there will always be real cowboys.
Movie Review: Great Cast Makes This Worth Watching
Summary: 4 Stars
This re-make of the 1970 version is considered just as good, if not better, by a lot of people who have seen both. I've only seen this one.
I found it much slower than many westerns but still almost as interesting. What was best was the cast. It fascinated me, especially being a regular viewer of the CSI shows. There are two actors whom I've gotten to know well from those shows and they have roles in here: George Eads having a major part while Rex Linn is in a lesser role. Tom Selleck as "Monte Walsh" is a natural for these westerns. He, like Sam Elliott, has that rugged cowboy appearance that make him look genuine. Isabella Rossellini is past her exotic days but she's always interesting as are the following: Keith Carradine, William Devane, James Gammon, Barry Corbin and Wallace Shawn. Yup, this is a very deep and diverse cast.
You also get one of the better directors doing this made-for-cable TV movie in Australian Simon Wincer, who directed "Lonesome Dove." Plus, the film is based on a book from Jack Schaefer (who wrote "Shane.")
****possible spoiler****The story is not an upbeat one, but not overly depressing despite the fact that few people are left by the end of the film. Despite that sad content there is a lot going for this film, certainly enough for me to recommend.
Movie Review: Mr., Are you a cowboy?
Summary: 4 Stars
Tom Selleck has made his living with western films lately and this is a nice addition. Selleck is a believable cowboy and may one day be remembered best for roles like thisMonte Walsh, a cowboy's cowboy! He's the guy all of us boys wanted to be. The best of Bronc Busters. Witty and intelligent. Tough as nails. Fast and accurate with a gun. Loyal to his friends.
Monte's goal in life was simple. He wanted to drive cows from Texas to Canada and get paid for it, if at all possible. Unfortunately for Monte and the other range riders, the modern era is fast upon them. Eastern corporations have begun to buy up the range and jobs are scarce. Bespectacled, bowler topped accountants assume they know how to manage the cow business, while the likes of Monte, Chet, and Shorty swallow dust day to day.
There is an interesting story line here and its fairly easy to follow. There is a little unnecessary language and some suggestive adult relationships to take away any opportunity to make this a good family film, but altogether tame compared to most. The show is nicely photographed and vivid in every way. If the truth is told, the story isn't nearly as important as the acting and the portrayal of the West we've dreamed about.
Movie Review: More of a portrait, less of a traditional movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not a plot-driven movie so much as it is a portrait of that moment in time when the Old West was disappearing and the men who made the Old West what it was had to adjust, die or just fade away.
It is beautifully shot and there is a lot of attention to detail. If one is looking for a ton of action, this is not the western you are looking for. But, if you love cowboy movies this one is a real treat. It would make the watcher wistful for those days when the horse ruled the west, except that you know that Monte Walsh would have none of that pointless sentiment.
No living actor looks more like a cowboy should than Tom Selleck and I'd be thrilled if he focused on those movies for the rest of his career.