“I guess they had it coming…”“We all got it coming…” In Christian circles, that exchange probably rivals “make my day” or “do you feel lucky, punk?” as the most iconic piece of Eastwood dialogue. The irony of its status is that the doctrine that it Read More …
True Grit skillfully and thoughtfully intertwines two common conflicts in Crime and Punishment films. The thin line between vengeance and justice is given a fresh look by making the ambiguously motivated champion of justice a child: Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld). The belief in the intrinsic Read More …
Claims that modern-day systems are rigged against the average guy have replaced “the Devil made me do it” as the go-to justification for why someone should not be held responsible for bending or even breaking the rules. Toby and Tanner Howard may not be wrong Read More …
Tender, empathetic, and visually rich, Chloé Zhao’s contemporary neo-Western both affirms and subverts its generic roots, deconstructing and reconstructing the masculinity, violence, and individualism of the American myth of the Cowboy. The titular rider here is Brady (Brady Jandreau), a rodeo cowboy and horse trainer Read More …
What do you worship? Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog never asks this question explicitly, but it does examine it through its provocative riff on the Western. For cowboy Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), it’s clear what he worships: manhood. He’s fashioned himself as the ultimate masculine Read More …