That was an excellent one.

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Targeted by a corrupt lawman who detests "free grazers", an elderly open range cattleman decides to take action - a decision that forces his younger partner to reluctantly rekindle his violent past - in this Old West tale directed by Kevin Costner. Clocking in at over two hours long, the film drags on occasion (particularly in the scenes with love interest Annette Bening), but for the most part, the pacing is spot-on with much time dedicated to the leisurely lifestyle that cattleman Robert Duvall and his three underlings lead until their peace is shattered by the anti-free grazer attitude of a town they cross. The film additionally benefits from a rousing Michael Kamen score and Costner's directing eye when it comes to untouched natural landscapes; his performance here might not rate among his best, but it is hard to deny how good-looking a film he has crafted. What truly elevates 'Open Range' above other revenge tales though is Duvall's firm moral stance and Costner's quivering one as the man with the violent past; "justice and vengeance ... them are different things" as Duvall reminds Costner at a key point. In fact, were it not the Bening love interest subplot, this would rate as an extremely tight and tense filmic experience. That said, Bening does serve some purpose as she helps Costner's character to remember how human he is despite his checkered violent past.

Some people say the western is dead, but I disagree; once in a while a good one comes along and shakes up people's opinions and generally impresses everybody. The last time was UNFORGIVEN, now it's Costner's OPEN RANGE, which is not up to the level of Eastwood's movie but is still generally pretty good. The biggest problem is the pacing, which is quite slow, but then for somebody who sat through THE POSTMAN, it seemed to go by pretty quick. Not much to say about this really, other than the scenery, the camera-work, and the music are all excellent, and the subdued acting from the cast is fine – with the exception of villain Michael Gambon, who is anything but subdued when he chews the scenery. I still ended up feeling sorry for him though. Costner is definitely on the back-burner here, giving all the major dramatics to buddy Robert Duvall, who is doing very well for a guy who must be about 110 by now. Then again he always looked old.I usually hate Annette Bening but she was excellent here as the love interest, whilst Abraham Benrubi has a small but pivotal role as a fellow cow poke and makes it really sympathetic. The script is intelligent and, although adding nothing new to the genre – at the heart this is a simple revenge story – keeps you interested throughout. Things (eventually) pick up for the hair-raising shoot-out at the end, which makes very good use indeed of loud gunshots and surprising stunts, so is definitely worth waiting for. All in all a good, solid addition to the genre.

Continuing my plan to watch every Kevin Costner movie in order, I come to his third directorial effort 2003's Open Range.Plot In A Paragraph: A former gunslinger (KC) is forced to take up arms again when he and his friends are threatened by a corrupt lawman.After his worst movie since the early 80's, KC responded with his best movie in 10 years. KC turned down the role of Bill in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 to do this movie, and I for one am glad he did. I'm also glad Robert Duvall took the role (within 24 hours of reading the script) as he was the only actor that Kevin Costner wanted for the role of Boss Spearman. He said if Duvall had turned down the part, he might not have made the movie at all. And that would have been a travesty. I can't praise the cast highly enough especially the two leads. Robert Duvall is perfect and KC fits this movie like a glove. It's beautifully shot and has a great score too. I'm not sure how many here will have seen it, but I love it!! At a little over two hours, this is the shortest of any movie KC has directed. I remember it took forever to come to the UK, about 6 months after its release in America, and I was disappointed (like with Thirteen Days) to find my screening less than half full, despite great reviews.

There are those who will disagree, that is fine. I believe everyone should be allowed to voice their opinion. So this is mine. "Open Range" is in my opinion one of the best movies I have seen on the silver screen since John Ford's westerns. It is definitely Kevin Costner's best performance and Robert Duvall, well, he is great in anything he plays in. Ever since his portrayal of "Boo Radley" in "To Kill a Mockingbird" I have been a fan. This movie is an absolute delight and the very best of western cinema. The character of Baxter (Michael Gambon)is spot on. He does so well at his craft that you cannot help but to hate him and enjoy what he is about to get. I watch the movie every time it is on. Great cast and great story.