Old Henry

Irony abounds. Six decades ago you could not turn on the TV or go to a theatre without bumping into a western. Today they are few and far between. (Except for the fact that Clint Eastwood is still starring in them, which is just plain odd). So when this little gem shows up, with the guts to bet the farm (literally) on a tight script and a BIG REVEAL, you really have to take off your hat and salute it.

Well-written western, with an excellent central performance from Tim Blake Nelson as a farmer with more to him than meets the eye. Nelson is given top-flight support from Scott Haze and Stephen Dorff. I'm not so sure about the choice of Gavin Lewis, who plays Nelson's teenage son; he's less well cast, and feels urban in a way that the other actors in the cast don't.

It is a boy's night out, no question -- there aren't any female characters at all. Still, it's a nicely-made movie, carefully paced, with a tumultuous last reel.

Tim Blake Nelson is a great actor! An actor who does not rely on a pretty handsome face or a tall physical body (5'5"), but completely by his fantastic performance to play all the roles in his movies. He is such a versatile actor that could play almost any character in any movie.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Leaves of Grass (2009). The characters he played, all turned out to be so great, powerful, entertaining, and memorable. It's unbelievable such an ordinary person could find jobs in the cruel society of the Hollywood. His success only proved that as long as you're really talented in acting, you still can survive in that crucial environment.

Only a few Western genre movies that really interested me to watch, not just once, but several times:

Blazing Saddles (1974), Clint Eastwood's 1992 Unforgiven, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), The Salvation (2014) and, this 2021 Old Henry.

Tim Blake Nelson is Old Henry, a seemingly simple farmer who lives with his teenage son on a farm in turn of the century Oklahoma. He rescues a wounded man with a satchel and eventually must make choices in order to protect himself and his son. An all male cast is unusual in the modern era and they are all excellent. The story is has twists and turns which are based on historical people. The scenery is beautiful and Nelson should earn an Oscar nomination.

Much about new low budget western Old Henry feels familiar to anyone that has ever watched a grizzled and humorless take on the American west but that never stops director Potsy Pociroli's well-shot and acted drama from being an above average affair that gets extra points for allowing the always great Tim Blake Nelson a chance to take charge in a rare leading man role.

Seemingly heading towards an inevitable conclusion based around Nelson's quiet and solitary farmer Henry taking in Scott Haze's wounded Curry who is being pursued by Stephen Dorff's Ketchum and his determined posse, Old Henry has enough surprises and well developed character arcs within it to be become a genre crowd pleaser that kicks off big time with a memorable final act/reveal that is sure to get audiences talking.

Picturesquely shot around various United States locales, Ponciroli's visually appeasing outing never lingers too long on its various elements also, as we try and uncover the secret behind Henry's past, Curry's mysterious presence and Ketchum's motivations and end goals that is all played out well by its talented group of performers with Nelson in particular as good as his been in years as the gruff and no fuss Henry.

No stranger to the Western genre with key roles in the likes of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and hugely underrated The Homesman, the rugged face of the supporting actor who stole scenes in such noteworthy films as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Lincoln and Syriana has rarely been given the chance in feature films to do the bulk of the work in front of the camera but he relishes the role his been given here by Ponciroli.

Neatly playing things cool throughout Old Henry's opening half, once we begin to gain more understanding about Henry's past and what has driven him to his life as a lowly farmer removed from the eyes of the wider population Nelson's smart turn really begins to pay-off with his understated but effective work here making this bloody western outing more than the sum of its parts where it may become more workmanlike with both Haze and Dorff not getting a lot too do in their respective roles but Nelson more than makes up for it in his memorable turn.

Final Say -

Many components of Old Henry feel overly familiar and unsurprising but Potsy Ponciroli and his leading man do enough to make sure that this low-budget but effective western offering is going to be sure fire hit with longstanding fans of the genre with the films rip-roaring finale ensuring the film ends on a high note also.

3 1/2 newspaper clippings out of 5.

For more reviews check out Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)