Bronco Billy

Here's a picture that works beautifully on several levels, including the philosophical (I kid you not). Approach it as a lighthearted caper, and you will be entertained. If you enjoy whimsy with a trace of fantasy, it will not disappoint you. How about a picture questioning the nature of reality, in which characters challenge and re-shape the identities that life seems to have foisted upon them? There are not many movies with such powerful ambitions, and fewer still that develop them in an oblique, yet perfectly comprehensible, manner. There is nothing the least bit heavy handed about this film; quite the opposite. Enter the special world it creates, and you will be rewarded both emotionally and intellectually.

(See what I mean? Now make sure you haven't missed "Finding Graceland" and "Pennies From Heaven.")

This movie obviously wasn't made to break any box office records. It's just a sweet little comedy with great characters that deserves more recognition.

Maybe the biggest problem with "Bronco Billy" is that it tries to have too much story. I wouldn't had mind seeing the movie focusing on Clint and his gang alone, plenty of great characters for that! Instead we now have the movie mainly focusing on the love story.

This isn't really a comedy with "haha" moments. It more is a movie with a warm and fun feeling, which is mainly thanks to the great characters. I especially enjoyed Scatman Crothers in his role but also Clint Eastwood did a good job as a character that basically wanted to be like the western characters Eastwood previously played before.

Fun comedy by Eastwood! Give it a shot, you might end up liking it.

7/10

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This film is not about Eastwood doing the stock 70's Eastwood, it is not about Sandra Locke, or about any other person's performance. The people in this film are lost, both in the social space of a world they cannot live in and in time. They lack most of the usual human equipment, like faith and hope (see Thomas McGuane's 'Panama'). But they blunder on, as much by default as by will, in the illusory world of Bronco Billy's road show and guided by Billy's real values, with each other. Like most of Eastwood's films, Bronco Billy is built around a story, but in this story how it comes out is not important, it is how Billy and this cast of lost souls get there. And the film has one the greatest lines in cinema history: The one Bronco Billy used to tell Antoinette what happened to his wife.

After "Every Which Way But Loose" and its sequel, "Any Which Way You can" became HUGE boxoffice hits, it was something of a surprise that audiences shunned this film, which contains alot of the same elements (minus the monkey), but is just a tad more mature and serious in terms of story and character development. It's an admittedly corny but charming semi-western comedy that has Eastwood leading a ragtag "wild west show" across the country, playing at various county fairs, churches and orphanages. A snooty, spoiled, runaway heiress hooks up with the troupe, causing all kinds of complications. Eastwood directs with a sure hand; the film is rather leisurely paced, but has warm, rustic charm that's very likeable and the movie is worth discovering on video and DVD now. Fine family entertainment.

I am a Clint fan..this was one of my favorites. Not a red carpet Oscar type flick...even better. One that is enjoyable to watch and leaves you feeling good when it is over. It's been a long time since I've seen it. I have seen it several times. The chemistry between Clint and Sondra is pretty noticeable. Living in Texas, I can say that in many ways it touches upon the nature of things here, the way friends stick together, and the overall feeling of kinship that exists between people from all walks of life. So, if you want to kick back and watch a hoot of a little movie, this is it. After watching it, you may just find out how many people you have touched in your life without realizing it.