Cast: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Elizabeth Pena, Joe Morton
Directed by John Sayles
Cast: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Elizabeth Pena, Joe Morton
Directed by John Sayles
Another
winner from Sayles, though in his typically overdone style, but with
enough character development to fill three movies. This one is set
with a murder-mystery for a crime that happened 40 years ago when the
skeleton of what is believed to be Charlie Wade, a notoriously
corrupt and murderous sheriff who kept the small Texas town under his
iron-willed thumb for many years. The sheriff of today is Sam Deeds,
the son of the town's most popular sheriff, Buddy. He thinks his
father may not be as rosy as the townfolk's image of him, even
thinking he may have murdered Charlie himself, and sets about digging
up the past of the crime and the history of the town he lives in.
Meanwhile he tries to rekindle a romance with a local Mexican woman
who was his first love.
John Sayles is a great writer, a good director, and a less-than-good editor. By editor I don't mean the actual person that cuts the film together, but the person who reads material and recommends what to strengthen and what to remove entirely. LONE STAR is a solid film to be sure, but it might have been even better without some of the side stories and characters who, while providing well-drawn characters and interesting things to think about, serve to weaken the overall tightness of what is a good story to begin with. A good cast of character actors and a refreshing, almost allegorical setting makes for a film that's worth watching more than once. LONE STAR provides food for thought, and while it may lack the emotional impact that most films of it's ilk delivers, it's still very smart with lots of heart.
Back
to Qwipster's Movie Reviews
<