Criminosos e Anjos

This film follows a group of bank robbers, a posse chasing them and a family whose home the robbers invade.

Without giving spoilers, this has a decent story to it but you need to be a real trooper to make it to the end. The pace of this is painfully slow. I don't know, maybe the slow pace is meant to convey a psychological theme. It didn't work for me though because even if that was the case, it still could've moved along better. I liked the story and hated the pace.

LJ'S QUICK MOVIE REVIEW:

"Outlaws and Angels", directed by JT Mollner, is a Western that takes place in the unforgiving American frontier. It follows the story of three wanted bank robbers that take refuge in a troubled family's home.

The movie's script features violence, crime, love, and revenge. As the movie progresses, the seemingly ordinary characters reveal darker and freakish sides to their lives. Emphasis is put on cynicism, human fears, and role of women in Western society. However, several characters never get the screen time they deserve. Their transformations often feel rushed and awkward.

Visually, the movie captures the essence of a Western. The colors and tone used in the film make for a very immersive experience. The movie is also shot using 35mm film, which adds to the gritty and grainy feel. Clearly, a great deal of effort was put into the detailed set-pieces, costumes, and makeup.

Overall, "Outlaws and Angels" is a movie with intriguing characters and high-quality visuals, but the flaws in its script and editing slightly compromise the experience.

LJ's Grade: C , 6.4/10

To be honest, Django Unchained and the Hateful Eight are better Westerns and were both released recently.

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An excellent low budget western, shot in the style of your favourite 70's westerns. I can't believe some of the negative reviews. It is well acted, well shot with some great thoughtful moments and has a nice flowing style with a few twists and turns. I really enjoyed this film leading up to a great last half hour.

It helps being a huge fan of westerns but I think some reviewers think the western starts and finishes with the Hateful Eight.

This film deserves more than 5.4. If you are a fan of westerns check it out. If you are 16 years of age move on,,

Can't wait to see more from this writer director.

"Where does it all begin. Violence, the gun, the knife, the axe. How's it born, how's it start?" Henry (Murray) and his gang of outlaws are on the run when the find a frontier house. They decide to hide out in there against the wishes of the family that lives in it. What starts off as a simple idea to hide soon expands into a dynamic that no one involved can explain or expect. There have been many many westerns that have come out in the last few years. Most of them awful, a few decent ones and then ones like this. One that isn't terrible and one that is worth seeing, but at the same time one that isn't all that memorable but it is watchable. The movie seemed to try way to hard to be like a toned down Hateful Eight but came off as more of a soap opera. There are some really good things in this and the twists are interesting and I do think it's worth seeing, but really only once. Overall, a movie that is entertaining as you watch it but a day or two after you won't remember half of it. I give this a C.

Criminales e Angelis! That might as well have been the name of this film that oddly pays homage to the classic Spaghetti Westerns. Unsavoury characters, ultra violence, twisty plot, offensive scenes it had it all. You couldn't like any of these people. Even the supposed lawmen were unsavoury. One almost expected everyone in the film to be dubbed except for a few main characters. Dubbing might have helped (or subtitles) as it seemed that almost everyone mumbled but you got the drift.

A band of outlaws (criminales) rob a bank in some dusty unnamed western town complete with hoods. Innocent people get killed (they are just bystanders after all). They escape but one of them is hit as they leave town. From there on its a rough ride as they wind up holing up with a christian family and everything becomes twisty, and ugly with gore and scenes enough to make you cringe. But the sets are great and the feel of being trapped in a place with a band of outlaws, a screaming christian mother and the very unsavoury minister of a father with their two daughters.

To give it even better feel of a being a spaghetti western there is the Clint Eastwood connection. Clint's former live-in Francis Fisher plays a somewhat hysteric christian woman while the daughter of Clint's and Francis's years together Francesca Eastwood is the the Angeli of the title. And what an Angeli she makes. Francis Fisher also played Ruth Dewitt Bukater, Rose's mother in Titanic and Strawberry Alice in Eastwood's Unforgiven.

As gore piles upon gore and cringing scenes pile on cringing scenes and the body count rises one is reminded that others can do what Tarantino and Peckinpah have done before. You can't like any these characters but you do admire the way the actors play them making it all seem too real. Just like the old spaghetti westerns.