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Isle of Fury (1936)
A Surprising Find
Being a Bogart fan, I had to check this one out. The poster and publicity shots were intriguing. This didn't look like a Bogie picture at all. This was quite enjoyable. The only thing subpar was the budget and production values. The story line, based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham, and the performances were all first rate. The story includes more than one man of mystery, a love triangle, a bible-quoting doctor, a heroic sidekick, double-crossing, Bogie working against a deadline, and a tension-filled ending. For performances, you have an early Bogie role showing his hopeless romantic side but featuring him being rescued instead of the other way around. Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods create the other two angles in the love triangle and are quite likeable in their roles. E. E. Clive is perfect as the resident doctor, dispensing medicine and advice in equal doses. Yes, the special effects are laughable and the storm could have been staged better. But unlike some of his other early films, this is one less known Bogie film that bears repeated viewing.
El Paso (1949)
Rally 'Round the Rebs?
Love the cast but the story does not hold up at all. You know the movie is going to be problematic when the opening scene is post-Civil War Charleston, but it shows members of the defeated Southern aristocracy sitting in a nicely apportioned mansion being served drinks by a (newly liberated?) black servant. They appear to have been relatively untouched by the war. You are then supposed to sympathize with a protagonist lawyer turned vigilante engaging in lynching and dragging people to death as retaliation for the killing of former Confederate landowners who were behind on their taxes. There is a confusing attempt to show the danger of vigilante justice when they mistakenly kill a newly arrived pastor who was fingered by their witness, the surviving teenaged son of the family that was attacked. But there are no overt consequences for taking the law into their own hands or for this wrongful death other than the leader pledging to put his fate in the hands of the local justice system that was cleansed of its corrupt members by the final shootout. I love westerns and watch as many as I can find but this is not one I'll watch again. I need someone to cheer for, even if they are flawed. But here it is too late to cheer for Payne by the time he realizes the implications of his actions.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Mislabeled
If you expect at least a dash of action in your westerns, look elsewhere. This one is pretty much straight drama. By the time I reached that realization, I was far enough into the movie that I wanted to see it through since the actors and performances are all solid. But after I was finished, I had to pour myself a whiskey and watch Unforgiven again.
Den of Thieves (2018)
A Bit of a Mess
No one to really cheer for here. I was actually hoping that Butler's character would be killed off. None of the other "good guys" developed enough for you to pull for them. You obviously pull for Jackson given the situation he finds himself in but then they tip their hands when they show him cuffed in the truck 2X. You just know they are going to show empty cuffs at the end. A nice attempt but I can't really recommend it.
The Outsider (2002)
Terribly disappointing
If you think a woman's path to true love requires her to deny the essence of her being, this is the movie for you. I agree with the other reviewers that this was in all other ways a very well done movie and I love westerns. The cinematography was especially impressive and the actors were fine. The story line pulled me in right away since it had plenty of classic western themes but also mixed in unexpected pleasures like the role of the music. As the film moved to its climax, I had hope for a satisfying resolution but I could feel the pit growing in my guts as I saw where things were heading. If Johnny loved Rebecca, could he really take her away from all that she held dear and defined who she was? If Rebecca was as strong a woman as she was portrayed, would she just give up her life like that? Maybe I have the wrong idea of romance, but I just couldn't get past the underlying message. Sorry.