3:10 to Yuma

I saw this the other night with my mother. Fan-freakin'-tastic. Definitely one of the best movies I have seen in awhile. Christian Bale plays Dan Evans, a Civil War vet missing part of one leg, and desperately trying to provide for his family. Russell Crowe is Dan Wade, a brilliant, if psychotic, leader of a band of outlaws. When Wade makes a mistake and is caught, Evans agrees to assist in escorting Wade to the train station to catch the "3:10 to Yuma" which will take Wade to jail. A battle of wills ensues fueled by the unrelenting pursuit of Wade's gang led by his number two man, Charlie Prince (a gripping performance from Ben Foster).

Bale and Crowe are without a doubt two of the finest actors in Hollywood today. As Wade, Crowe has so much masculine charm rolling off him you can feel it. Bale's raw intensity as a man so desperate for his wife and sons to see him as a man is heartbreaking. Both deserve Oscar noms as does Foster come award season.

One of the prominent themes of the movie is the nature of being a man. What is a man, exactly? Evans is certainly not seen as one by his family. His oldest son, especially, views him with contempt, contempt for not being able to provide for his family and being unable to protect them from the angry landlord to whom they owe money. Wade on the other hand seems to be the epitome of masculine - strong, confident, charming - but he is a ruthless killer. Making things worse for Evans is that his son, William, admires Wade and even his wife finds herself charmed by him. The pain is so evident in Evans seeing this and wanting so badly for his family to look at him like that. The dynamic between these two characters is what makes this a brilliant movie.

Definitely worth the price of admission. Check it out.