Appaloosa ***

Cast: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renée Zellweger, Lance enrickson, Adam Nelson, Ariadna Gil
Director: Ed Harris
Running Length: 1:54
MPAA Classification: R

Outlaw Randall Bragg (Irons) and his gang do whatever they please in the Old West town of Appaloosa, but all that is about to change. The town leaders have had enough of him, and decide to bring in gunman Virgil Cole (Harris) and his associate Everett Hitch (Mortensen) to clean things up. As marshal, Cole demands some leeway to take care of things his way, and that is granted by the town. Soon, Cole and Hitch are able to stage a midnight arrest of Bragg at his hideout, but getting justice is not that easy. Bragg’s men are out to get him back.

Not many westerns make it to theaters these days, but “Appaloosa”, Ed Harris’ second directorial effort does not disappoint. The leads all produce real characters that are not perfect people. There is an understated humor that keeps things from getting to heavy, and everything in the film looks authentic. “Appaloosa” is an entertaining film that will satisfy any thirst for a fresh western. I recommend it.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets **
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Ed Harris, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Greenwood
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: PG

When treasure hunter Ben Gates (Cage) has his great-great grandfather accused of participating in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, he sets out to prove the man’s innocence. That innocence lies in finding the lost City of Gold, located somewhere in the United States. On the way, he will have to get at the Queen’s desk in Buckingham Palace as well as its twin in the Oval Office, and kidnap the President of the United States (Greenwood). Fortunately, he has the help of his father (Voight), his mother (Mirren), his former girlfriend (Kruger) and his sidekick (Bartha). Meanwhile, Mitch Wilkinson (Harris) is looking to find the city first and make a name for himself.

The first “National Treasure” was enjoyable, even though it was a bit of a rip off of “The DaVinci Code”. The plot was a bit far-fetched, but one could mostly suspend disbelief. “Book of Secrets” on the other hand is over-the-top ridiculous. It asks the viewer to believe an awful lot of implausible things, and that is its downfall. Its almost as if the screenwriters decided to see how unbelievable of a story they could craft. Sure, its nice to see the characters we met in the first one back in action, but that’s not enough to make this movie work. If you must see this, wait until it is out on DVD.

Gone Baby Gone ****
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, Madeline O'Brien, Edi Gathegi
Director: Ben Affleck
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: R

Private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) are approached by Lionel (Welliver) and Beatrice McCready (Madigan) to look for their niece, Amanda (O’Brien), who has gone missing. They fear the police won’t be able to devote enough time towards the investigation and think Patrick and Angie would be a great help. Opposed to their help are the girl’s mother, Helene (Ryan); the police chief Jack Doyle (Freeman); and the two cops working the case, Remy Bressant (Harris) and Nick Poole (Ashton). They quickly discover some overlooked clues that put them in harm’s way as well as put them in the position of having to make some morally ambiguous decisions.

“Gone Baby Gone” is a mystery/thriller that is full of twists and turns. They can be figured out beforehand if one pays attention thanks to this well written and executed script. Solid performances all around compliment Ben Affleck’s first outing in the director’s chair. Like “Mystic River” before it (it was also based upon a novel by Dennis Lehane), the film doesn’t offer any easy answers. It forced the audience to decide for themselves if the right thing is done by the characters. This is a solid, top-notch film, and a definite contender for Best Picture when the Oscars come around. I highly recommend this film.

The Human Stain ***

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinese, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barrett
Director: Robert Benton

Coleman Silk is a college professor that has just been fired for supposedly making a racial slur about two of his students. Faunia Farely is a woman who lives in fear of her ex-husband. When they meet, they find something in the other that will heal each other's pain, but it won't be easy, especially since both have big secrets in their pasts that they have kept hidden for a long time. Coleman's is the bigger of the two, and is handled excellently as we learn his backstory. Excellent acting all around, and a good story about the secrets we keep and the way love can redeem tortured souls.