Again, I’ve been remiss about pumping out some quick thoughts on both the good and bad of what I’ve seen long lead, but James Mangold’s remake of 3:10 to Yuma , the 1957 western starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, is a very, very good film… like, go-ahead-and-start-the-Oscar-derby good. Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster and
Peter Fonda, the movie is a slow (pleasantly so), protracted chess match of wills.

Set in Arizona in
the late 1800s, it centers on captured outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe), and his date with a train that will take him to justice. Bale plays Dan Evans, a broken down Civil War veteran struggling to keep the respect of his headstrong son (Logan Lerman) and the support of his wife (Gretchen Mol), as well as merely hold onto control of his drought-plagued ranch. Needing cash, Evans volunteers to help deliver Wade, but is set upon by the latter’s vicious gang.

The script is tight, the acting and production value top-notch, and Crowe — speaking in a low, hypno-masculine purr — drives this well-oiled baby inexorably forward in charismatic bad-boy fashion. Bale’s performance, meanwhile, is a master class in measurement and subtle reaction. Looking to beat Warner Bros.’ The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford out of the gate, LionsGate has moved the film’s release date up to September 7, nationwide; to visit its web site, click here. More to soon follow.