The Mustanger and the Lady

This film is pure art. From the score, to many of the actors, a hidden gem. Out of the straight to video pile come some of my favourite westerns and Painted Woman is now on that list. Do not come looking for action however. Though there may be a few violent scenes, this is a steady, and even somewhat slow paced tale of hardship, perseverance and love in the old west. Kiowa Gordon (Chato), Stef Dawson (Julie Richards), Matt Dallas (Frank Dean) and David Jenkins (Vince Wagner), are some of my highlights. Of special note, however, is Laurel Harris (Ellie Anderson). From her first scene, it is obvious that this actress is not just performing but also putting her spirit into the film. She captured me in her mannerisms and speech. She radiated heart, a compassion that not only her character possessed, but no doubt, Ms. Harris herself. Amazing. Amazing. Quick kudo to David Bruster's rendition of "Pig in a Pen". Why is that song not on the soundtrack?

Mercy, as one who is considered by his friends, as a film buff, I just had to advise them of this movie. It is bad, bad, bad. All the female characters have new white teeth, something which would have been unheard of during the movie time period. All the dresses as well as the props, wagons etc. looked as though they just came out of a display case. I feel asleep both times I tried to watch this flick and all I can say is this, " if you are a male and over 50, you probably will see more of the back of your eyelids than you will see of your TV screen."Slow, Slow, Slow movie.

... by far the best part of this production was the last few minutes of the ending... otherwise it was stereotypical down to the bad guys and sidekicks... it would have made a very good first couple episodes of a four-part-mini-series.

The movie had great character development and theme! Though portrayed as a Western, the message is universal. I loved how the entire tone of the movie develops and changes as the main character begins to discover the strength within herself. This movie has a little bit of everything, drama, suspense, comedy, and action. My favorite part was how she sought revenge on her oppressor!

I took a shot at this based on a few early rave reviews of 9 and 10. This ain't Unforgiven. A young woman works at a bordello in Kentucky in 1899. It seems as she has become the mistress of the owner in a beautiful house. He hires a really nasty man to beat up people who owe him money. After a while he tires of his young mistress and she seeks freedom from him. A good guy appears and the rest is pretty formula; nothing new here. The lead actress is Australian but she manages a southern accent fairly well. The cast is competent and the story moves along without any dead spots. The scenery is nice and the ending a bit of a surprise. Overall, it is o.k.