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.

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.

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 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.

I went into this one without even bothering to read the reviews and it blew me away.

Extremely well done, the acting from all involved was top notch, especially Tim Blake Nelson, who really showed he is a quality actor.

There is nothing over the top involved the story is just a story with the "good guys" coming out on top against the odds. Except who really knows who the good guys are.

Definitely a movie that could be watched more than once. It loses 2 stars for me due to the flashbacks, those were not really required and made the movie a bit confusing.

8/10 and highly recommended.