Jericho

From its mysterious, Hitchcock-style opening to its satisfying conclusion, Jericho is a delightful and intriguing movie. Set in the old west, Jericho is a suspenseful story of friendship, loyalty, and determination. Filmgoers will find themselves sharing the fast-paced adventure of the main character who is searching for his true identity. Along the way, be prepared to experience a wide range of emotions. Beautiful cinematography and a stirring soundtrack suit this heartwarming story well. Our family enjoyed watching this movie twice!

I saw this movie in a theater, with a Q&A by the director, in Springfield, MO, which is one of the places the director calls home and where one of the actors (Woody P. Snow, a local radio DJ) is from. It was a decent movie for its essentially shoe-string budget. Not really what you'd call a Western...it's more of a character study or psychological drama that dresses itself in Western trappings. (Sort of like how "Little House on the Prairie" was set in the west without having the constant gunfights and things that you associate with a Western.) It also had a few problems with the pacing, particularly toward the end where it suddenly and without warning drops into a 15-minute flashback. Had a few interesting ideas in it, though...particularly in regard to how what you think you see at the beginning isn't what you really see at all.

Mark Valley (who?) stars as a cowpoke suffering from amnesia, trying to regain his memory in this low-budget STV job shot on location in Texas and New Mexico. Along the way, he works as a cattle drover, a gold panner and a ranch hand before discovering his true identity in a twist ending. One thing for sure: he knows how to handle a pistol, and does so frequently in this gritty but clichéd western. The costumes and general look of the characters and settings feel authentic enough. What's missing is a Sam Elliott or Tom Selleck to give the movie a certain zing. I will say I stuck with it to find out the guy's true identity, which for most viewers likely will come as a complete surprise.

This movie is a great example of why so many people are watching independent, "Indie", movies now. The absence of large amounts of capital requires the artists, (producers, directors, writers and actors) to become more creative.

The story is original and the dialog is realistic. It passes my "Believability Test" for action/drama movies. (Do you believe this could happen, in this way?)

Leon Coffee is a surprisingly good actor. If he ever tires of dodging bulls, (he is a professional rodeo clown) Hollywood could certainly use his talent.

Many of the extras in this film were cowboy "re-enactors" from around Texas. They provided a bit of extra authenticity to the film.

It's amazing to see how different people can have such varying opinions of the same movie. One rated it a 10 and called it a great "family" film. I guess they missed out on the scenes about the man getting his head blown off with a shotgun or the rape or the hanging. And some rated it a 1. Come on! It wasn't going to win an academy award, but it was entertaining. I think it was somewhere in the middle. I just found interesting that Jericho could make it through all he did, spend all that time on the trail and remain so good looking and clean shaven.