Rating: 
Summary: OPEN RANGE--A Hopeful Revival For The Western
Review: For all the hits and misses he has had in front of and behind the camera, Kevin Costner never fails to put his money where his mouth is. Such is the case with OPEN RANGE, which I hope will revive that most American of film genres, the Western.Set in 1882, OPEN RANGE stars Costner and veteran Robert Duvall as cattlemen only trying to drive their cattle across the open prairie of Montana. But they soon run afoul of a ruthless land baron (Michael Gambon) out to rid the land of free-grazers like Duvall and Costner; and to prove his point, Gambon has one of Duvall's men (Abraham Benrubi) killed and another (Diego Luna) seriously wounded. The stage is set for a traditional but classic shoot-out to the finish. If not on the epic level of Costner's 1990 Oscar-winner DANCES WITH WOLVES, or the standards set by people like Clint Eastwood, John Ford, Howard Hawks, or Sam Peckinpah, OPEN RANGE nevertheless demonstrates Costner's comfortability with the Western. His is a determined performance, and his direction is equally fine, with stunning photography, done on location in southern Canada, and a fine Michael Kamen score. Gambon is about as nasty a villain as there has been in any film in recent times, and James Russo does his natural evil best as a half-crazed town sheriff. It is Duvall, a veteran of many westerns (TRUE GRIT; LAWMAN), however, who really shines, as is typical of this kind of caliber actor. Always offering some wry advice but ready to take retaliation for having been wronged, Duvall is a tower of strength. Annette Benning also does good work as the town doctor's sister, who also becomes Costner's love interest. The Western genre has not run out of stories or ideas, and never will; it just needs people of integrity like Costner to keep it going. OPEN RANGE proves that in spades.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie Making!
Review: I remember an old John Wayne movie called "Cowboys". "Open Range" brought that same realistic approach to molding a movie around a Western format. The movie couldn't have been titled better. The incredible visual work in this movie alone make it a must see; not to mention the believable characters played by Duvall and Costner. The only mistake this movie makes is trying to add more emotional dimensions to the main characters than is necessary to make the film flow. This only happens towards the end of the film: Charley, suddenly concerned about Boss's real name, after riding with him for years. Boss, suddenly concerned about good tasting chocolate and a storekeepers lack of finance to enjoy his own chocolate. The action scenes are great, the acting is tight, and the storyline is well trimmed. I think people will enjoy this film. Click the "buy" button! You'll want "Open Range" in your DVD collection. www.therunninggirl.com
Rating: 
Summary: Did cowboys talk this way?
Review: Don't know. Duvall & Costner seem to be too smart to be free range cowboys. They seemed to be very 21st century to me but no manner. Costner puts his money where his heart is & I repect the projects he's done. The production values are always there & not cheap. He can tell & I guess he figures his customers can also. Westerns have changed over the years but this one has things in common with the oldies, such as justice redemption, gunplay a little romance. Annette Benning is a delightful diversion from the all male cast. A very good western for our times. Sure, I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Virtually Perfect
Review: The ending drags a little, but not so much that it ruins its effect. The rest of the movie is great. I would compare it to Unforgiven, as both movies are slow, quiet westerns that build to the final climax. The villian isn't near as developed as Hackman's character in Unforgiven, but the protaganists are much more developed (and likeable) in Open Range. If you are a fan of the western at all, you should really enjoy this movie. I rented when it came out, and watched it a second time before I had to return it. Duvall was absolutely robbed for not getting nominated for an Oscar.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Western in the Classic Tradition
Review: After the stunning fiascos of "The Postman," "Wyatt Earp" and "3000 Miles to Graceland" (among other cinematic missteps), director-actor Kevin Costner makes a long-overdue comeback with "Open Range" (2003). Though flawed, it's nice to see a traditional western that wholeheartedly embraces its cliches. The teaming of Costner with Robert Duvall is truly inspired and lends an emotional power to the film. Costner works best when paired with seasoned veterans such as Duvall -- in fact, one wishes that both actors had ventured into western territory more often. An excellent cast (Annette Bening, Michael Gambon and the late Michael Jeter in particular) and James Muro's exquisite cinematography lift this familiar range-war saga well above the ordinary, with director Costner utilizing the Alberta landscape to memorable effect. "Open Range" might have been a great western if Costner had made a few judicious cuts (the 139-minute running time is way too long) and hired a better composer than Michael Kamen, whose derivative score lacks spark and resonance. Still, it remains a film worth having in an era where movie westerns are a dying breed.
Rating: 
Summary: YOUR BASIC WESTERN
Review: Entertaining but rather mindless by-the-numbers big budget western from Director, Star Kevin Costner finds Costner and cowbuddy Robert Duvall intent on a suicide mission to right the wrong commit4ed by a group of ruthless landowners. It seems the leads and Annette Bening as love interest deserve a more compelling original story.
Rating:
Summary: Lame dialogue, excellent period piece
Review: Costner scored a 10 with `Dances With Wolves', and I truly wanted this film to be another 10. Not.... Costner IS an excellent Western actor. But Robert Duvall shows us is the best Western actor around. As to Annette Benning? They could have written her better lines. Costner and Duvall are `Free Grazers', a breed of cattle ranchers who herd their cattle to the market while they graze off the Open Range. They run into a town that is ruled by a rancher who hates Grazers. The rest is a very much predictable generic script of Two Good Guys vs A Whole Slough Of Bad Guys. You could predict almost every line, except that there are a few tongue in cheek conversations between Duvall and Costner. Michael Jeter (now gone) and Abraham Benrubi (ER) were two of the brightest points in this film. Benrubi showed he has a broad range of acting skills, and Jeter...well, he has always been one of my favorites, and was PERFECT as the sympathetic Livery owner. As I understand it, he died immediately after this film. Thanks, Kevin, for giving him the role. He is one of the reasons I will watch this film again. Annette Benning...I am surprised she tolerated the totally milktoast lines she was forced to endure. An older woman, sister of the town doctor, and supposedly a bit ahead of her times. The dialogue was lame, lame, lame. BUT, she carried off her role like a true professional. For what it's worth, the gun play in the town was EXTREMELY realistic. Pistols in the Western days had an accuracy of about 15 feet. Costner made sure to portray this. walls, doors, 2x4's on new construction...all blown away from 15 feet while the targets ran away. It was the best 15 minutes of the film. And what was with the speech the dying Land Baron gave? He taunted Costner and Duvall, but man, if I was shot and dying, I would have said a few more choice words!!!! The scenery was dramatic (shot in Canada), and recreated the atmostphere of the time. I gave this three stars. Two for the script, but four for the realism, and the fact that there are some excellent acting in this film. Myself? I would have liked to see Tom Selleck (an excellent old western actor) as one of the bad guys. It's a rental for sure. And you may watch it twice. Not many times more though...
Rating:
Summary: Not since Dances w/wolves has Costner film looked this good!
Review: This Movie review is predominantly about this 2-Disc DVD Collection Edition with a few editorial (personal observations) comments. Kevin Costner's passion is truly in the American Western. He has proved it with one of the greatest Western films "Dances With Wolves" (Top 100 AFI (American Film Institute) American film of last 100 years (circa 1998). Now with "OPEN RANGE" Kevin Costner has again returned to his great film making with another soon to be Western Classic. I loved this movie!!!! A great story, fantastic breath taking panoramic cinematography (Alberta, Canada), an outstanding supporting cast with Robert Duvall as "Boss", Annette Bening as "Sue", Michael Jetter as "Percy" and Costner as "Charlie", with plenty of drama, action and true romance. (My wife loved it too!!) Summary of this DVD set; Disc-1 - Open Range Feature film in 2.35:1 Ratio Widescreen Anamorphic (automatically adjusts to any television size) Format. And Enhanced for 16:9 Home Theatre HDTV's. (what a magnificent Picture & dynamic DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound). Audio Commentary w/Kevin Costner (very informative). Disc-2 - Special Features; "America's Open Range" a 60 min historical journey back in time to the open range of the 1800's narrated by Kevin Costner (very enlightening/informative), "Beyond the Range" Directors Journal about the making of Open Range, 10 Deleted Scenes w/optional Kevin Costner commentary, StoryBoarding: Open Range and Music Video Montage. This is a must see Classic Western especially the 20 minute climatic gun fight (better than the gun fight at the OK Corral). Rent it, Buy it, I guarrantee you'll be watching this movie again and again. The Direction, Cinematography the Storyline the Cast are the best!!! To bad the general public missed this movie the first time around. Here's your chance to watch/own this Classic Western DVD set !!! Don't miss it. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Brutally Honest Depiction
Review: "Open Range" may be a fictional story, but the events that occurred within it were brutally honest depictions of what happened in the 1880's. The story moves along at a somewhat slow pace, but you have to remember that the pace is used to develop the characters and the storyline. It also helps to enhance the believability of the story, e.g. the waiting for the killers, moving the herd across the plains, etc. Costner's depiction of a violent man trying to shake off his past is perfect. Once he slips his old skin back on, however, the cold-blooded intent with which he seeks out his enemies is played to perfection. He becomes a killer. Duvall's tough-as-nails "Boss" character is memorable as the older, wiser leader of the free-grazing group. He becomes the level that keeps Costner from losing all control throughout the film. The rest of the cast does a superb job. Annette Bening deserves praise for the sheer looks of terror that cross her face in this film. She surprised me in this one. As it was with the characters, so it is with the action of the movie. It's a very accurate depiction of a gunfight in the Old West. When people shoot, they miss...often. Even the heroes of the film miss their shots frequently. In the late 1800's, guns still weren't up to par with today's standards. Shooting at and missing someone from close proximity was the norm. When a bullet did hit its mark, the target didn't always die instantly. This is shown throughout the fight sequences in this film. At times they are disturbing, which I believe is the whole point of such scenes in this movie. You don't know if you should cheer for the good guys or have pity on the bad ones because of how violent the deaths in this film are. Many people have called this a traditional Western. If you mean traditional in the sense that it's just like a lot of other Western movies, you're partially right. There are a lot of Westerns that depict the violent and psychological struggles of the late 1800's with precision, but there are many more that glamorize that time in our history. Also, many of the stories we've heard are often based on the dimestore novels and "half-truths" that grew from that time. This movie isn't like that. It's as close to actuality as I've seen in a long time. In closing, this movie is brutally honest. Don't watch it if you want to see one of those "good guys in white hats" dimestore movies. Watch it if you want an honest, accurate depiction of events that could have happened in one of the most violent times in American history. I higly recommend this film.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie Making!
Review: I remember an old John Wayne movie called "Cowboys". "Open Range" brought that same realistic approach to molding a movie around a Western format. The movie couldn't have been titled better. The incredible visual work in this movie alone make it a must see; not to mention the believable characters played by Duvall and Costner. The only mistake this movie makes is trying to add more emotional dimensions to the main characters than is necessary to make the film flow. This only happens towards the end of the film: Charley, suddenly concerned about Boss's real name, after riding with him for years. Boss, suddenly concerned about good tasting chocolate and a storekeepers lack of finance to enjoy his own chocolate. The action scenes are great, the acting is tight, and the storyline is well trimmed. I think people will enjoy this film. Click the "buy" button! You'll want "Open Range" in your DVD collection. www.therunninggirl.com
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