Crossfire Trail

That Homer of the American Western, Louis L'Amour, has always been good to actor-producer Tom Selleck. CROSSFIRE TRAIL is a well produced motion picture that in another era would have been a well-received theatrical motion picture release. Regrettably, the climate at movie box office doesn't support westerners of such classic pedigree, and it is to TNT Original Productions credit that they have allowed this film to find its venue and audience.

The production is impeccable, as is the cast, with special attention given to the lead actor Tom Selleck. While success on the silver screen eluded him, Selleck still shows why he continues to be the best actor working in traditional Westerners and the natural successor to such screen legends as Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Gary Cooper, and John Wayne. Any of those actors would have felt quite at home with the hero of this film, Rafael Covington, a man of few word and an unbending code of honor.

Supporting Selleck are the vibrant Virginia Masden, Mark Harmon, Brad Johnson, David O'Hara, Patrick Kilpatrick as well as the always welcomed presence of those two ever-reliable veteran actors, Wilford Brimley and Barry Corben.

For Australian director Simon Wincer and star Tom Selleck, CROSSFIRE TRAIL is a re-union since they collaborated in the highly entertaining and grossly neglected QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER. Wincer brings his typically excellent eye to period detail and visual meise en scene that he used so successfully in his groundbreaking epic LONESOME DOVE.

Again, if you haven't seen this film, then by all means, do so. If you have, then go back a savor of well-done effort. You will be well rewarded in either case.

I just caught the DVD version of "Crossfire Trail" and enjoyed it immensely. It is a western of the old school full of action, romance slimy villains and hard ridin'.

Tom Selleck stars as Rafe Covington who has made a promise to a dying friend to look after his ranch and his wife (Virginia Madsen) after he is gone. Along with his two pals (David O'Hara, Christian Kane), Covington sets up shop on said ranch. Joining the trio is crusty old Wilford Brimley (barely recognizable) as a former ranch hand. Unfortunately, villain Mark Harmon also has designs on the aforementioned ranch and widow. When Selleck proves to be a formidable opponent, Harmon brings in gunfighter Brad Johnson to settle things which of course, leads to the inevitable showdown.

The scenery, shot in western Canada, is beautiful and unspoiled. The town (looking suspiciously like the one in "Unforgiven"(1992) looks like a real dusty western town and the costumes and make-up have been created authenticly as well. The acting is good all round and the action scenes are as exciting and well staged as any I've seen.

Barry Corbin as the town's drunken sheriff and William Sanderson as the bartender are excellent in featured roles.

"Crossfire Trail" is a western lovers delight. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

This is an above average western drama. Although many plot elements are predictable, particularly the shoot-em-up ending, the film has many strengths. Tom Selleck and Mark Harmon give excellent performances. Selleck, unlike his Thomas Magnum character of years ago, portrays the lead as a thoughtful, reserved character with considerable depth. Harmon perfectly portrays the smarmy, conniving bad guy. Wilford Brimley, although fatter than ever, delivers a strong performance as usual.

Especially watch and enjoy the beautiful location photography. The ending credits were invisible (squashed on the screen) when I watched the film, so I'm not sure of the shooting locales - even if they were included. But the high altitude and mountain scenery is spectacular. As is often the case today the music soundtrack (though fine)is too loud, making it difficult to catch all of the dialogue in places.

The Western is a dying genre and it never ceases to amaze me that it is so. It is being displaced by the cops 'n robbers, grisly hero shoot'em-ups and a variety of other overly violent superhero vehicles. As a kid, I grew up on Westerns and could not get enough of them. The bad guys always wore black hats and the hero, like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and others always wore the white hats coming to the rescue of the ladies at the last moment. Villains were slime-suckers and deserved all they got. I mean, who could even feel a twinge of regret when Joel McCrea shot Brian Donlevy in the Virginian after he engineered Sonny Tufts getting hung? Well, this film loosely based on a Louis L'Amour story takes us back to a time when heros were just that: bigger than life figures that placed honor, decency and the love of their horses above the petty greed and avarice of the weaker villains. Selleck is outstanding in this role as Rafe Covington who comes to "take care of" the widow of a friend (whom we later learn he knew but a short time). What commitment! Now, we get some growls here from the peanut gallery from some who fail to understand the archetype the Western Hero is based on and even one faithful Louis L'Amour fan who cries foul at the departures from the original. OK. We can let that go. Someone observes that Selleck leaving his Magnum PI role is a "natural" for Westerns. I second that! He does. His pals, veteran character actor Wilfred Brimley, Kane and O'Hara add texture to the hero role while the villains are outright scumbags, especially usual good-guy Mark Harmon and refugee from the rapture, Brad Johnson (glad he made it out of the apocalypse). These baddies are REAL bad. Cheap made-for-TV has-been Western flick? No way, José. This is FINE entertainment and I wish they had a lot more of it.

As an enthusiastic 'Western watcher' for over sixty years, I think that this one stands comparison with some of the great ones. Good acting by a strong cast, attention to detail and authenticity and the superb photography (ably enhanced by the scenery !!) make this a 'must-see '

Yes, the story isn't exactly original, but so what ? Tom Selleck fits the scene like a character from a Remington painting and what superbly crafted gems of villainy are portrayed without resort to excessive brutality or foul language. This how they should be made.