In "Open Range," we are drawn to two men running from their pasts, an aging lonely cowboy, Boss Spearman (Duvall), and his long time second hand man Charley Waite (Kevin Costner). They drive their herd of cattle from a vast prairie to another with their two young helpers: the giant Mose (Abraham Benrubi), a gentle fellow who mostly works as wagon driver and cook and Button (Diego Luna), a teenaged orphan eager to prove himself to his elders
The plot is launched when the four free-range cowboys encounter the town boss, the merciless Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), a menacing Irish immigrant who actively hates free-grazers, and wants their herd vanished from the territory one way or another
To make his feelings known, Baxter and his henchmen severely injure the two young cowboys
Boss treats the boy's wounds himself, and then takes him, with Charley, to the town's doctor where Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the doctor's middle-aged sister, cares for him There, in their confusion and anger, the duo realize that they're now on their way for a high noon gun battle, not only for revenge, but to protect their way of life as well
Costner's character, Charlie Waite is an enigmatic, sensitive type who does not show much emotion He has been taking orders from Boss for a decade, but their coming confrontation with Baxter and his thugs begins to reshape their relationship Charlie has a troubled violent past of which he's not proud, but it's a past which will help him in the bloody fight to come
As the story goes relentlessly toward the clash between Baxter's brutes and the two cattlemen, Sue unexpectedly catches Charley's eye She is a strong capable woman who discovers exactly what Charley is when she first meets him Charley was more than a little worried What if Sue sees his malicious side, it might scare her off
Duvall is exceptional as usual He is strong and flexible He steals the show with a charismatic portrayal of a man who exudes kindness as expressed in his concern for the wounded young boy In one of the movie's few striking moments, Boss buys an expensive Swiss chocolate from the town's general store and then offers the storekeeper a piece of it when he finds that he has never tried it himself because he can't afford it Duvall handles this scene relaxed and with all the graciousness and warmth
The film's cinematography is superb, due in part to the green, forested mountain slopes against the stunning snow-capped peaks, marked with occasional torrential thunderstorms
The plot is launched when the four free-range cowboys encounter the town boss, the merciless Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), a menacing Irish immigrant who actively hates free-grazers, and wants their herd vanished from the territory one way or another
To make his feelings known, Baxter and his henchmen severely injure the two young cowboys
Boss treats the boy's wounds himself, and then takes him, with Charley, to the town's doctor where Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the doctor's middle-aged sister, cares for him There, in their confusion and anger, the duo realize that they're now on their way for a high noon gun battle, not only for revenge, but to protect their way of life as well
Costner's character, Charlie Waite is an enigmatic, sensitive type who does not show much emotion He has been taking orders from Boss for a decade, but their coming confrontation with Baxter and his thugs begins to reshape their relationship Charlie has a troubled violent past of which he's not proud, but it's a past which will help him in the bloody fight to come
As the story goes relentlessly toward the clash between Baxter's brutes and the two cattlemen, Sue unexpectedly catches Charley's eye She is a strong capable woman who discovers exactly what Charley is when she first meets him Charley was more than a little worried What if Sue sees his malicious side, it might scare her off
Duvall is exceptional as usual He is strong and flexible He steals the show with a charismatic portrayal of a man who exudes kindness as expressed in his concern for the wounded young boy In one of the movie's few striking moments, Boss buys an expensive Swiss chocolate from the town's general store and then offers the storekeeper a piece of it when he finds that he has never tried it himself because he can't afford it Duvall handles this scene relaxed and with all the graciousness and warmth
The film's cinematography is superb, due in part to the green, forested mountain slopes against the stunning snow-capped peaks, marked with occasional torrential thunderstorms