Keith-Carradine Movie Reviews

Very intense story about a plain widow women (Naomi Watts) and her young boy living in a religious community who takes pity on a wounded gun slinger (Tim Daly). She nurses him back to health only to fall in forbidden love with him and he with her. However, he knows he could never have her. Meanwhile, the men who killed her husband are after her land. Conflict between violence and forbidden love tears her family apart and she must make a decision that could cost her her life. This is a good, good story, one I've watched over and over again.

Tim Daly and Naomi Watts turn a good story into a wonderful presentation with the help of talented direction and a strong supporting cast. It's the classic Western tale of Tim Daly, orphaned and abused as a child,seeking a way to redress the wrongs done to him by becoming someone feared and admired. And Naomi Watts,a woman of the Plain People and a widow, trying to run her small sheep ranch with the help of her son and also attempting to resist the ploys of a neighbor to remarry.
There, of course, is the cattle baron who desires the property owned by the Plain People throughout the valley and who will stop at nothing to gain the land for himself and his cattle company.
Mix everything together and you have a compelling movie with plenty of action, good characterizations, dialogue and plot.

Wonderful story about the human condition, sin, love and redemption; and how God has a plan for everyone and especially cares for those who love Him. Tim Daly delivers a wonderful performace, supplying the exact mix of macho toughness and sweet gentleness, creating the perfect on-screen leading man. Naomi Watts is delightful, and compelling without a single curse word! This is one you'll watch over and over and never tire of it.

I've seen this movie, and Zane Rockenbaugh can sure act. The scene where he takes a slap, boy I could just feel it. If you haven't seen this movie, see it just to get Zane slapped.

This 1991 Merchant-Ivory production is based on the novel by Carson McCullers and the play by Edward Albee. It's set in the South during the depression and there's a deep melancholy mood throughout. Vanessa Redgrave is cast as Miss Amelia, a strong and mannish middle aged woman who doctors to the population, makes corn whisky, and even though she runs a small cotton plantation, seems as impoverished as the everyone else. One day, a hunchbacked dwarf, claiming to be a distant cousin, played by Cork Hubbert, comes to town and to everyone's surprise Miss Amelia takes him in. He brings some joy to her life, even has her open a café in her home and she seems to be falling in love with him. But her ex-husband, played by Keith Carradine, who has just been released from prison comes back to town. She was only married to him for a few days, refused to sleep with him and humiliated him so much that he left in shame, but now he's back with hatred in his heart. To complicate matters, her dwarf cousin adores the ex-husband. Eventually there's a showdown in the bloodiest fistfight between Miss Amelia and the ex-husband that I've ever seen on a screen. The ending is sad.

I cannot say enough good things about Vanessa Redgrave's performance. I usually think of her as a sophisticated and attractive British actress. But for this role she takes off her makeup, crops her hair close to her head and lets her clear blue eyes shine from a weather-beaten face, her usual graceful body taking on an awkward gait, and her voice taking on a deep southern drawl. It is an absolutely magnificent performance with equally talented supporting actors. The story is weird but it kept my interest and my eyes were glued to the screen waiting for what would happen next. Too bad that I never really understood why the characters did what they did. I looked for resolution or some sort of explanation. Instead, the story became more and more grotesque, and I didn't like the ending. Just too many unanswered questions. For those interested in the Southern Gothic venue and who want to see wonderful performances, you might find watching this video an interesting and rewarding experience. For the rest of you, stay away.

Sad but good. Vanessa Redgrave is effective as a Southern loner living in a backwoods town. When a local man (Carradine) courts her and marries her, she refuses to let him sleep in the same house with her, let alone the same bed. Anyway, after brooding and complaining, You can imagine how embarrassed he'd be, it's a small town and everyone knows....events ensue and he ends up in prison.
Miss Amelia (Redgrave) opens a small cafe at the insistance of her cousin "Lyman" a hunchback . When, Marvin Macy (Carradine) comes back, completely changed after his stint in prison. Very bitter.. ..
And even though her cousin Lymon seems entranced by Marvin, as this now dark and alluring character he's become (And Keith Carradine is excellent at it ;-). Miss Amelia still sees him as an "evil man"

In my earlier review of another one of Alan Rudolph's movies, "The Moderns", I cited this film as being the ONLY movie to cover what life was like in the weird period in western pop history between 1975 and 1982. This was a period when David Bowie's bizarre influence permeated just about everything having to do with American and Western European night life and sexual rebellion. NOBODY sought to document this strange footnote in the 20th century timeline other than Rudolph, and he does an excellent job!

This is one of a trilogy of movies Rudolph directed when he was "hot", just after he had developed his own style, apart from Robert Altman, his mentor. "Choose Me" and "The Moderns" were the other two. (To appreciate the difference that eventually set the two apart, rent Rudolph's "Welcome To L.A", which could have EASILY been an Altman movie, and compare it to any one of these three.) Unfortunately, since these three movies, Rudolph hasn't done much that could be considered landmark, with the exception of "Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle". A damned shame, really.

The story centers around Kris Kristofferson, starring in one of his few really good movies, as a disgraced cop who gets paroled back into Seattle society after serving time for murdering a crime lord for harassing an old flame of his, Wanda, played by Genevieve Bujold, whom he reunites with after he gets out. Wanda owns a popular diner haunted by weirdos and hangers-on over which Kristofferson takes an apartment she offers to him out of gratitude. Into this mix comes Coop, played by Keith Carradine, a young married with the requisite financial problems all working class young marrieds face: New baby, new expenses, a wife to support....After finding out that jobs are hard to come by, (this IS after all, set in the late 70s and early 80s,) Coop soon turns to crime after meeting with a strange, black habitue of Bujold's diner, played by Joe Morton. Coop soon transforms from an average Joe to something resembling a cross between the Joker from Batman and Bowie's Thin White Duke, turning off his young wife, played by Lori Singer. This drives her into the arms of Hawk, Kristofferson's character. Hawk happens onto her right after Coop comes home late one night from one his first forays into petty crime with his newfound friend, Morton, and Hawk just happens to be passing by their shabby motor home after the fight between the two younger people ends.

Eventually, Coop and his friend try to deal with Hilly Blue, a fey crime lord played by the well-known, late transvestite actor Divine, and nobody's life from there on in is quite the same again.

This movie captures the neon world of the late seventies new-wave/punk era near-perfectly and is unique in the fact that it is the ONLY movie to do so! The acting, specifically Carradine, Bujold and Morton, is top-notch, the music, by Mark Isham, is moody, jazzy and noir-perfect and humor abounds throughout.

One of the oddest portions of the movie is a latter part involving Coop and Morton and yet another crime lord of the city named Nate. Nate is, quite frankly, a sissy with an eye for VERY young ladies. However, he's powerful enough to make life very rough for the two punks.

Buy this movie, and I assure you, it will stay in your OWN mind for quite a while.

Very atmospheric film, that deserves a DVD. A real sleeper with some very real dialogue. Check the scene when Kristoferson's character explains to Singer the way it would be living with him. Just brilliant writing, one of my favorites

Alan Rudolph has created a fascinating off-beat look at America, through the eyes of a cynical ex-cop, Kris Kristofferson, who goes by the name of Hawk. The setting seems to lie in a no-man's land between the past and the future, as Seattle is transformed into a bleak, dreary city under martial law. Hawk reluctantly finds himself as a guardian angel for a young woman, Lori Singer, and her baby, who have been abandoned by her erstwhile husband, David Carradine, who rather absurdly gets drug into the dark underworld of Rain City. Hawk's old flame, Genevieve Bujold, provides most of the emotional punch in this movie, running a diner inhabited by local rif-raf, which serves as Hawk's hideout. The story is cartoonish, but that is part of its charm. The dead-pan performances carry the movie through its rather predictable twists and turns, highlighted by a comicly nuanced performance by the great Divine as the kingpin of the Rain City underworld. The Mark Isham score is given haunting refrains by Marianne Faithfull. Rudolph seemed to have fun with this movie. It moves along well with a perfectly inane closing scene in which Hawk brings the proper forces back in order.

The idea of an official Roman investigation into the theft of Jesus' body is a stroke of genius, but the filmmakers flubbed their premise with a boring almost-romance between Taurus and Mrs. Pilate, and a silly end act as Taurus goes undercover as a Jew to find Jesus. Heartfelt but flawed film.

This is one of those films that gets off to a slow start, but builds inexorably on an engrossing premise to end on a powerful note. The story draws you in to the inquiry of the title,never giving away the surprising twists and turns of the plot.

What I appreciated most about this film was the presence of a good story line and plot that kept your interest as the inquiry progressed into the unknown. The sense of mystery was heightened by the sparse locale and simple sets. The dialouge requires you to engage your mind.

Harvey Keitel is perfect as a suspicious Pontius Pilate. His performance alone makes this worth seeing for anyone who is a fan. Carradine is good, but it isn't till the end of the film, when he is mistaken for the person he is looking for, that his performance transcends to become truly memorable.

I found myself thinking about this story and the questions it raised long after I had seen it. This film stays with you, and to me that is the mark of a successful production.

I saw this film in a cinema in Rome, on its initial release. I remember it for the effect it had on the audience. After it had finished, the auditorium was in deep silence, for a substantial length of time, before people started moving to the exit. The atmosphere was stunned and one of deep thought. This film touches a nerve as it questions the balance of forces between the clear, rational search for understanding of the central character, the Roman investigator, and the power of faith, no matter how irrational, in the minds of those who believe. It is a masterstroke of Damiani and his mentor in this film, Ennio Flaiano, that the figure of Jesus is obliquely presented, solely through the perspectives of others, which alone marks this film out from most examples of the 'biblical' genre. I know of no-one who has seen this unusual film who has not had cause for deep reflection afterwards.

There isn't much to say about this typical story of greed, intrigue, and jungle adventure -- this one takes place in the wilds of Borneo, for a change, and is set in 1955 although a lot of the film feels as if it's taking place in the 1930s. There's a sort of pre-WWII colonialism mentality about it that is jarring, and very little evidence of the modern world apart from some references to atomic bombs. Even the clothes, hairstyles, and mannerisms seem dated, archaic. Oh, well. The plot centers around a quest for a fabulous diamond and the romantic triangle (or is it?) between the married swells in pursuit (the oddly dyspeptic Carradine and an elegant Paris Jefferson) and their hard-scrabble guide (Billy Zane, good as usual in another cartoon role). There's a lot of running around in uncomfortable-looking surroundings, Zane doing a Bogart impression, and nasty natives of the sort normally encountered in vintage Tarzan movies. Very retro, but all in good fun, and the underappreciated Paris Jefferson -- best known perhaps as a radiant Athena in the "Xena" TV series -- steals every scene she's in, the perfect cool Britishwoman under fire. Who wouldn't steal a diamond for her?

...

Having read a little about Louis L'Amour and his early adventures as a merchant seaman at his web site (louislamour.com), I can see some of his own life in this story! From the absolute KING of the Western comes an exciting, jungle action adventure flick that combines Indiana Jones with Casa Blanca, Tarzan, and Romancing the Stone. Zane is the perfect down-on-his-luck adventurer, trapped by his bad luck, empty pockets and a haunting secret past. Carradine brings just enough stiff-upper-lipped genious to his role to make you love - hate - love - hate the guy. And Paris Jefferson is a sophisticated sensous Gwenevere whose romantic notions get the better of her. Yet when the chips are down, she turns out to be the stongest of them all! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and recommend to everyone. And if you want to talk to the writer (and Louis L'AMour's son) Beau L'Amour, visit the discussion forum at louislamour.com He has been very active with comments on the making of this movie!

Pretty good western with Johnny Cash in his first starring vehicle. Two aging gunfighters decide to sell tickets to a final showdown with the winner taking the proceeds. The whole town wages on the fight. Kirk Douglas in fine form. Cool ending, but does the winner really win?

this movie should be given its place in any western collection.
much as another fabulous western 'the man who shot liberty valence', it deals with a 'west' that has changed beyond the main characters' capacities to understand.
and, in common with countless westerns (of the a, the b, and the c varieties), it all comes down to who fastest, ¿no? or does it?
both the leading characters are riveting in their own ways,and ¡the ending! oh my, what an ending. whew.
this is a fine western, definately watchable again and again, and therefore definately buyable.
alvin

Pretty good western with Johnny Cash in his first starring vehicle. Two aging gunfighters decide to sell tickets to a final showdown with the winner taking the proceeds. The whole town wages on the fight. Kirk Douglas in fine form. Cool ending, but does the winner really win?

this movie should be given its place in any western collection.
much as another fabulous western 'the man who shot liberty valence', it deals with a 'west' that has changed beyond the main characters' capacities to understand.
and, in common with countless westerns (of the a, the b, and the c varieties), it all comes down to who fastest, ¿no? or does it?
both the leading characters are riveting in their own ways,and ¡the ending! oh my, what an ending. whew.
this is a fine western, definately watchable again and again, and therefore definately buyable.
alvin

Pretty good western with Johnny Cash in his first starring vehicle. Two aging gunfighters decide to sell tickets to a final showdown with the winner taking the proceeds. The whole town wages on the fight. Kirk Douglas in fine form. Cool ending, but does the winner really win?

this movie should be given its place in any western collection.
much as another fabulous western 'the man who shot liberty valence', it deals with a 'west' that has changed beyond the main characters' capacities to understand.
and, in common with countless westerns (of the a, the b, and the c varieties), it all comes down to who fastest, ¿no? or does it?
both the leading characters are riveting in their own ways,and ¡the ending! oh my, what an ending. whew.
this is a fine western, definately watchable again and again, and therefore definately buyable.
alvin

Pretty good western with Johnny Cash in his first starring vehicle. Two aging gunfighters decide to sell tickets to a final showdown with the winner taking the proceeds. The whole town wages on the fight. Kirk Douglas in fine form. Cool ending, but does the winner really win?

this movie should be given its place in any western collection.
much as another fabulous western 'the man who shot liberty valence', it deals with a 'west' that has changed beyond the main characters' capacities to understand.
and, in common with countless westerns (of the a, the b, and the c varieties), it all comes down to who fastest, ¿no? or does it?
both the leading characters are riveting in their own ways,and ¡the ending! oh my, what an ending. whew.
this is a fine western, definately watchable again and again, and therefore definately buyable.
alvin

this movie was very entertaining and surprisingly enjoyable. The plot of a little girl who has a tough time sometimes finds hope in a seal which she befriends sounds formulaic but it really isn't at all and is perfect for the whole family