Old Henry Movie Review

The Western movie hit a high in the 90s, but there have been relatively few good ones in the past decade, so I was looking forward to a good Western with plenty of shootouts.

This movie is definitely in the classic genre, but unlike the recent remake of Magnificent Seven, there is actually only one single shootout of note, which occurs at the end. So this is more like the older shows, such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, where a good yarn takes centre stage and it is a slow burn reveal leading up to the final shootout.

Tim Blake Nelson would not be your go to person for an actor that you would associated with a gun slinger, but this isn't your typical movie. Sure, there are rehashed elements from other movies, where the farmer isn't who he seems to be and the single man holding out against an impossible posse of riders has been done in many other shows, including one of my favorites, Rio Bravo. 

So the premise is simple and audiences like the idea of a man with a past holding out against impossible odds, with an ignorant, impetuous son to boot and hidden secrets dying to get out.

Tim Blake does a wonderful job here, and convinces us with his pained look of a man with a past and his supporting cast help to keep the pace going, and the showdown was also nicely done, with just enough action to bring a nice conclusion to a rather slow burn movie. The duration isn't too long, so pacing is fine as it takes time to flesh out the mystery of his past and why there is a man with a bag of money, and how he relates to Tim Blake. Tim gives a subtle, nuanced performance, with just enough hints in his walk, demeanour and even the way he handles himself to lend weight to the concept that there is more to him than just an old tired farmer.

It may take more than one viewing, so I think it definitely deserves a rental, and is worth a buy too. 

There isn't a whole ton of surround action or bass, so it won't be a demo movie for your HT system, but it's a good yarn worth sharing with the mates who like a good story as much as one with all the speakers firing. 

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 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.