Since it's a well-known tidbit of film history that Lonely Are the Brave is Kirk Douglas's favorite of his movies, I'll try not to be too critical. There are some nice elements to the film, and I'll focus on those, even though this is a movie I'll probably never want to watch again.
Kirk Douglas stars as a traditional cowboy: a wandering cowhand with no permanent address, a closer relationship to his horse than with most people, and a wealth of knowledge about his natural surroundings. He stops by normal civilization to check up on his old friends, Gena Rowlands and Michael Kane, and finds out that Michael has landed in a two-year jail stint. Determined to rescue his pal, Kirk gets himself arrested, thrown in jail, and then hopes to escape with Michael. Michael prefers to serve out the remainder of his sentence and return safely to his family, leaving Kirk to "brave" the escape alone.
The early scenes between Kirk and an extremely young and pretty Gena Rowlands are my favorite scenes. They have a fantastic chemistry together, and I found myself wishing the entire film consisted only of the scorching pair. Despite their differences, they truly understand each other, and there's a love that runs deeper than any of their written lines. While the audience wonders about the characters' history, when it's finally revealed, their performances are that much more layered. It makes you wonder why they weren't cast in Hud!
In the second half of the film, when Kirk and his horse are on the run from Sheriff Walter Matthau, whose addiction to gum and deadpan lines gets old fast, the film has a completely different feel to it. It's incredibly tense, and several times, I pressed pause and took a walk around the house just to shake off my worries. Animal lovers will be terribly affected by the movie, and non-animal lovers will still be on the edge of their seats, hoping that Kirk will be able to escape. The stunts are incredible, and in traditional old-Hollywood style, the long takes allow audiences to see Kirk's face as he wrangles his horse!
You know I never spoil any plot points in my reviews, but just ask yourself what you imagine when you hear the title Lonely Are the Brave. If you imagine a cutesy classic, you might want to put this back on the shelf and rent My Dear Secretary instead. If you imagine a sad, tense, stark drama, you're probably ready for it.
Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to upsetting situations involving an animal, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.
Kirk Douglas stars as a traditional cowboy: a wandering cowhand with no permanent address, a closer relationship to his horse than with most people, and a wealth of knowledge about his natural surroundings. He stops by normal civilization to check up on his old friends, Gena Rowlands and Michael Kane, and finds out that Michael has landed in a two-year jail stint. Determined to rescue his pal, Kirk gets himself arrested, thrown in jail, and then hopes to escape with Michael. Michael prefers to serve out the remainder of his sentence and return safely to his family, leaving Kirk to "brave" the escape alone.
The early scenes between Kirk and an extremely young and pretty Gena Rowlands are my favorite scenes. They have a fantastic chemistry together, and I found myself wishing the entire film consisted only of the scorching pair. Despite their differences, they truly understand each other, and there's a love that runs deeper than any of their written lines. While the audience wonders about the characters' history, when it's finally revealed, their performances are that much more layered. It makes you wonder why they weren't cast in Hud!
In the second half of the film, when Kirk and his horse are on the run from Sheriff Walter Matthau, whose addiction to gum and deadpan lines gets old fast, the film has a completely different feel to it. It's incredibly tense, and several times, I pressed pause and took a walk around the house just to shake off my worries. Animal lovers will be terribly affected by the movie, and non-animal lovers will still be on the edge of their seats, hoping that Kirk will be able to escape. The stunts are incredible, and in traditional old-Hollywood style, the long takes allow audiences to see Kirk's face as he wrangles his horse!
You know I never spoil any plot points in my reviews, but just ask yourself what you imagine when you hear the title Lonely Are the Brave. If you imagine a cutesy classic, you might want to put this back on the shelf and rent My Dear Secretary instead. If you imagine a sad, tense, stark drama, you're probably ready for it.
Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to upsetting situations involving an animal, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.