Le dernier cow-boy

'Monte Walsh' is not just a western or a cowboy movie. It's a movie about cowboys and that point make all the difference.

In fact, 'Monte Walsh' tells a story that is universal in it's own theme; a story concerning the end of a time, the novelties of the beginning of the 20º century and the progressive death of a code of honor and a way of life.

The movie is beautifully directed by Australian director Simon Wincer. Tom Selleck is perfect in the title role and the support cast is good too, especially Keith Carradine and William Devane.

The only problem with the movie lies in some scenes, like the suicide of the veteran of the Civil War (in my opinion, a bit overacted) and the last scene, that brings a irony that sounds strange and dislocated with the rest.

But after all, this movie is a really standout among the most recent western movies.

This is remake from classic Western Monte Walsh (1970) by William A. Fraker based on Jack Schaefer's novel , author of Shane . Emotive and evocative film , including gorgeous landscapes , reflecting wonderfully the wide open spaces , they are splendidly photographed . The film starts at the ending XIX century when appears railway , big companies buy ranches and new technologies put difficult things for traditional cowboys who lost their jobs . It deals about a veteran cowboy (Tom Selleck in Lee Marvin's previous role) and his colleague (Keith Carradine) , they see declining the ending days of Wild West era and the transition to a new century where horses are left . As railway and barbed wire hardly eliminate the need for the cowboys who are yearning the freedom of the open prairie . Their lives are divided between months on the range and the occasional trip into town . They find themselves like dinosaurs in an old West that's dying out . Monte only lives his work and is enamored for a prostitute named Countess Martine Bernard (Isabella Rossellini , in Jeanne Moreau's former role). Monte Walsh and his partners are left with few options for survive, though new jobs opportunities are available . Monty has a long-term relationship with the French whore , while Chet has fallen under the spell of the widow who owns the hardware store . The cowboys (George Eads, William Sanderson , Rex Linn, among them) are commanded by a foreman named Brennan (William Devane, role of Jim Davis). Then , Monte embarks on mission to revenge best pal's death (Keith Carradine in Jack Palance role).

This melancholic picture results to be a magnificent TV western with action , a deep love story , shootouts , and spectacular scenarios . Sad , melancholic and dusty-looking Western with phenomenal protagonist duo , though the pace is too slow . Moving and sensitive Western where the cowboys must say goodbye to the lives they know and some of them attempt to make a new upright start and others way to crime . Great performances for all the main and support casting with excellent first roles from Selleck and Carradine . Special mention for Isabella Rossellini as an aging whore and James Gammon as a veteran cowboy with sad ending . However, the narration is too slow-moving to keep a fine grip on the interest . Breathtaking outdoors are well photographed by cameraman David Eggby , the movie was shot on location , including marvelous landscapes . Sensational directorial by noted filmmaker Simon Wincer , a Western expert , as he previously directed to Tom Selleck in ¨Crossfire trail¨ and ¨Quigley Down Under¨ and usually directs episodes for TV mini-series, such as : ¨Into the West¨, ¨The Ponderosa¨ and ¨Lonesome Dove¨, among others. Rating : Very good for the adequate direction and proficient film-making.

It's unlikely anyone will ever make another western as good as Wincer's LONESOME DOVE but MONTE WALSH is a good effort. I rated it a 9. This story of an aging cowboy's efforts to cope with a changing world in the late 1800s has a smoothness that seems natural. Tom Selleck is perfect and the supporting cast is equally superb. The spectacular Canadian scenery adds to the enjoyment. It's a well done western that's not just another "shoot'em-up".

I dearly loved the original "Monte Walsh" (1970), starring Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau and Jack Palance. That was one of the best westerns (and best movies) I've ever seen.

This version, a more modern telling of the same story, is also quite good, but I found it lacking in the "grit and dirt" of the earlier one. Tom Selleck is convincing enough as a cowboy, but unfortunately he still has that "just stepped out of the pages of GQ magazine" aura to him that I don't think he is ever going to shake. There is nothing wrong with being as handsome as Tom Selleck, it's just that I found it hard to feel totally convinced of his portrayal of an authentic, hard-scrabble cowboy of the dying Old West.

I felt that too much attention was devoted to making it all so "pretty pretty" instead of letting it gather a patina of cow dung, as must have been the case in the *real* old West. Here the cowboy costumes were a bit too gorgeous and hokey to be convincing, and the cinematography, while breathtakingly beautiful, seemed distracting, as if it were all a travel-documentary. It all seems to have been "made for TV" sanitized, giving it more style than atmosphere.

But I'm being too critical here, and I don't want to spoil a good film by being unnecessarily nit-picky. All said, it's really a good movie with a powerful, timeless story about people losing their way of life thanks to rapid technological progress and corporate cynicism. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? I would recommend this film to any die-hard western movie fan, but please try to pick up a copy of the earlier 1970 version, and watch that one as well. The West is the Best, bar none.

The TNT remake of "Monte Walsh" is a wonderfully detailed character study of aging cowboys and their struggle with the decline of the old west.

Tom Selleck, Keith Carradine, William Devane, James Gammon and Barry Corbin are the last of a dying breed and they don't accept the inevitable change that progress brings. "I won't do anything I can't do from a horse" is the condition Monte Walsh demands for accepting a job at a corporate ranch.

There is more than a little humor in this film as the cowboys deal with their own mortality as well as the end of their way of life. William Saunders small but engaging turn as the trail cook Skimpy provides some welcome comic relief to an otherwise wistful and touching story.

This film has great acting, beautiful photography, gorgeous music and a wonderfully understated style of direction by Simon Wincer.

Worth the time and commercial breaks.