Released in 2003, "Monte Walsh" chronicles the mundane adventures the title character (Tom Selleck) & Chet Rollins (Keith Carradine) and other itinerant cowhands in remote Wyoming in 1892-93, with an epilogue taking place in 1900. Times are a changing as Easterners with "capital" are making "conglomerates" of the big ranches and there's not enough work for cowhands to go around. Can these old cowboys adapt to the new century? Isabella Rossellini plays Monte's romantic interest while George Eads and William Devane play Shorty and Brennan respectively.
Being made-for-cable (TNT), this newer version of Jack Schaefer's novel lacks the sheen of, say, 2003's "Open Range," but it's not far off in overall quality and shows that a superlative Western can be made on a TV-budget. I've seen the 1970 version, but it was so long ago that I can't compare the two.
The movie starts out dull as it shows the everyday life of the cowhands, but I caught a grip with the realistic vibe and was fully immersed into the story by the second half where the story perks up. Besides the realism, I liked the palpable love displayed between Monte and his babe, as well as the subplot of desperate men doing foolish things in desperate times. Monte makes a big mistake when he lets a certain character go when he's caught rustling. He should've made sure he got his just deserts. The story is nigh elegiac in tone as we witness the limited opportunities for these tough Westerners as their way of life is stifled by progress. "Monte Walsh" is akin to similar Westerns like 1967's "Will Penny," which was hampered by its subplot of cartoony villains. "Monte Walsh" has no such flaw.
The film runs 117 minutes and was shot in Alberta, Canada.
GRADE: B+
Being made-for-cable (TNT), this newer version of Jack Schaefer's novel lacks the sheen of, say, 2003's "Open Range," but it's not far off in overall quality and shows that a superlative Western can be made on a TV-budget. I've seen the 1970 version, but it was so long ago that I can't compare the two.
The movie starts out dull as it shows the everyday life of the cowhands, but I caught a grip with the realistic vibe and was fully immersed into the story by the second half where the story perks up. Besides the realism, I liked the palpable love displayed between Monte and his babe, as well as the subplot of desperate men doing foolish things in desperate times. Monte makes a big mistake when he lets a certain character go when he's caught rustling. He should've made sure he got his just deserts. The story is nigh elegiac in tone as we witness the limited opportunities for these tough Westerners as their way of life is stifled by progress. "Monte Walsh" is akin to similar Westerns like 1967's "Will Penny," which was hampered by its subplot of cartoony villains. "Monte Walsh" has no such flaw.
The film runs 117 minutes and was shot in Alberta, Canada.
GRADE: B+