My Dad bought this for me for Christmas, and I just now got around to watching it. I actually really liked "A Fistful Of Lead"! I thought this little flick had a lot to offer, honestly! It's flawed, but has a pretty solid script, for the most part.
It's essentially about a bunch of bankrobbers being chased-down by a Sherriff of the town they robbed, as well as a bunch of people from the town. They spend a lot of time out in the woods, hunting for the thieves.
There aren't many good guys in the film, honestly. One of the only ones is a really annoying British guy, that I thought was the Jar Jar Binks of the film. The guy's always rambling on, trying to make jokes that don't land. Everyone else is playing a Clint Eastwood-type character. I actually think most of them do pretty fine with what the script gives them-especially the more in-the-front female character we have (out of two female characters hiding-out in the cave everyone ends-up at, about halfway through the film). It was all pretty well-performed, if I do say so myself. It seems like all of the cast were having fun with this project.
I do think that, sometimes, the costumes-and maybe even the characters themselves-look a little too clean. Even a bloodstain from having someone killed nearby a character could look like spilt koolaid. It's hard to get that down-and-pat for a western of a lower budget, but I don't think the costumes were bad, or anything. Just a little too wrinkle-free for the grittiness this film wanted to depict.
Something I do think was absolutely HORRID was the special effects. Every single time someone is shot and killed, CGI blood splatters all over the screen. It really makes the film feel more like a costume party, for some reason. It ruins a ton of the tension that's so well-crafted, at times. CGI gore is fine, in some movies, but it all comes down to how it's utilized. It is NOT utilized well in "A Fistful Of Lead".
There's also something else I kept noticing, almost throughout the entire flick: the sheriff is ALWAYS re-dubbed. I don't think I saw that much with anyone, but there are times he's yelling but his mouth is merely mumbling. It can take you out of the film pretty easily, when he's on screen. That being said, I don't think he's a bad actor. It just seems like the director changed the attitudes the sheriff character had, in post-production, yet they never match what he has on the screen.
I might also add that I thought the ending was a little odd. Everything about the sheriff character just made me wonder, by the end, why, with his gruff, rude, scheme-y mantra, anyone would appoint him to be the sheriff of a small town in western-based times. Seems a little wrong, or irresponsible, if I were any of the people living in the film's area.
One final note is about the score: it was actually very nice. Very suitable to the flick. Almost forgot to mention it, when I originally wrote the review.
Overall, if you like more modern, bloody westerns, this might be up your alley. It was a fun time, even if it wasn't perfect. I had a decent time with what I had here, and I'm glad I got to see it.
Thanks, Dad! I love you! And God bless you!
