Yuma scores dead on

I have always had somewhat of a soft spot for westerns. Something about a man walking through a dusty one-horse town with nothing but his guts and his six-shooter has always been appealing to me. Westerns typically feel like ultimate guy movies; tough guys are at odds with other tough guys, so they ride around on horses shooting at each other until there is eventually a standoff.

And yet ever since Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, westerns seem to have fallen off the map. Luckily, James Mangold decided it was time to bring back the saddles and stirrups and remake the 1957 western 3:10 to Yuma.

Christian Bale plays Dan Evans, a poor farmer who can't seem to catch a break. The land is dried up due to severe drought, and Dan is indebted to not-so-forgiving people. When the notorious robber Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is caught in Dan's town, Dan volunteers to transport Wade to the train station in exchange for money, but getting Wade on the 3:10 to Yuma may prove to be more challenging than expected.

One of the great things about 3:10 to Yuma is how it feels like an old-fashioned western. The film never tries to be more than the story allows, and the simplicity helps to keep the focus on the movie's strongest aspect: the characters. Christian Bale is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood today and for good reason.

At first he seems difficult to believe as a weak farmer, but as the film plays out, he proves once again that he is able to command any role given to him. Russell Crowe can also play any role given to him, whether it is a gladiator, a sea captain, a cowboy or a boxer. Crowe's portrayal of the ruthless yet strangely lovable Ben Wade is so charming, the audience will feel no shame in practically rooting for him.

Peter Fonda is great as the grizzled old lawman Byron McElroy. Fonda makes this old dog almost contemptible due to McElroy's questionable morals and blurring of the line between right and wrong.

But the person who ends up stealing the screen oddly enough isn't Bale, Crowe or Fonda, but Ben Foster. Foster plays Ben Wade's right-hand man Charlie Prince: a terrifyingly loyal assistant who becomes the true villain. Foster's presence on screen is so intense that any scene he is in is instantly engaging.

What makes these characters so enjoyable to watch must be due in part to James Mangold's direction.

Stylistically, the direction is very conventional, and Mangold seems to do little to make the film his own; however, the focus on the film is not on the style, but on the characters, and in this respect it succeeds admirably. Mangold also proves to be a master storyteller as well, with the last half-hour being some of the most engaging footage so far this year.

Even if the movie loses its pace for a while in the middle, the finale more than makes up for it, creating an excellent and unpredictable character drama.

Westerns may not be as popular as they once were, but 3:10 to Yuma is proof that the genre can still work. If you've been missing these old-school westerns, the wait is over.