Review: As Westerns go Appaloosa rides comfortably close to being a classic in the tradition of Unforgiven and 3:10 to Yuma. For fans of the genre, this is a masterful triumph for Ed Harris and a dynamite screen teaming with Viggo Mortensen.

Story: In the ever-changing west of 1882 city marshal, Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and his deputy Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) are two tough dudes out to clean up lawless towns, a mission that takes them to Appaloosa. This small mining town has been taken over by a ruthless power-hungry land baron, Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons), who, along with his band of thugs, has run the place into the ground. Although their initial efforts are met with some success, Cole and Hitch run into personal and professional conflict when a pretty mystery lady, Allison French (Renee Zellweger), blows into town. She complicates the picture, walking on the gray line between good and evil, and generally making the Marshal and his No. 2 overcome unwelcome obstacles in their fight to bring Bragg and his boys to justice. The film, based on the novel by Robert B. Parker, smartly details the unique problems inherent in bringing law and order to an unruly West.

Acting: Guiding his co-star Marcia Gay Harden in 2000’s Pollock to an Oscar, Harris the director once again shows he has a natural affinity for steering his fellow actors, at least most of them, into superlative performances, which includes himself. In fact, the actor doesn’t seem to be the least intimidated in playing the leading role in a movie he also co-wrote, directed and produced. Harris comes off as the embodiment of a dedicated lawman, who quietly goes about his business, determined to clean up the wild, wild West his way with the help of a loyal deputy. Mortensen is wonderfully authentic as Harris’ partner in stopping sagebrush crime, looking like he’s lived in those boots his entire life. Mortensen’s demeanor and style in the role of Everett Hitch evokes a true feel for a place and time long gone. Together these two do not seem fake or awkwardly contemporary, but instead come off as the real deal. Irons is slippery and fun to watch as the devious outlaw Bragg, proving as he did in his Oscar-winning Reversal of Fortune there’s nobody as good at playing subtle shades of bad. Zellweger, on the other hand, lets her acting show at every turn. To be fair, her character rarely adds up, but she does nothing to give any dimension beyond the obvious to a woman courting both sides of the law.

Direction: In only his second outing behind the camera in a decade, Harris shows Pollock was no fluke. Clearly enamored with the era, he nobly honors the great American western tradition, crafting a film that fits in with some of the best examples Hollywood has turned out. Some may complain that Appaloosa is long on talk and short on action, but the time director Harris devotes to letting his characters develop is far more satisfying than a lot of pointless violence that many Westerns wallow in. Like Howard Hawks’ 1959 classic Rio Bravo, this is an honest tale of the camaraderie between a pair of lawmen simply trying to do a job. This is a director whose emphasis is focused on his cast, and he’s picked them very carefully right down to the smallest roles, surrounding himself with a lot of terrific character actors. Just as impressive are the top notch production values including cinematographer Dean Semler’s stunning New Mexico landscapes.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Review: With striking parallels to the life of her direct descendant, Princess Diana, this stunning film of the tortured love life of Duchess Georgiana Spencer is a triumph for its star, Keira Knightley.

Story: Although set about 200 years before the world had ever heard of Lady Diana Spencer, this is the true story of another royal Spencer, The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (Knightley) whose personal and professional life and innate sense of fashion and glamour made her all the rage in England and led her to a royal life of triumph and tragedy. Sound familiar? Based on Amanda Foreman’s award-winning biography, this compelling film version introduces us to a dynamic woman, whose feistiness and sense of style made her a star attraction in England’s royal circle. Smart as a whip and eventual leader of the progressive Whig party, Georgiana had it all – except the one thing she wanted most, the love of her husband The Duke (Ralph Fiennes), who became so obsessed with siring a son that he turned to open affairs with other women, including his wife’s best friend, Bess (Hayley Atwell). This humiliation and betrayal by her husband and friend leads to her own attempt at romantic happiness in a sizzling affair with the abolitionist, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper).

Acting: Putting it simply, Knightley has the role of a lifetime and socks it home with the kind of acting bravado she hasn’t displayed even in her best films, Pride and Prejudice and last year’s Atonement. This is the kind of part an actor kills for, an emotional powerhouse that allows her to run the gamut from glamour queen, powerful political force, tortured wife, passionate lover and tragic heroine. The story of this Duchess has it all and is only enhanced by the eerie parallels to her royal descendant Princess Diana. If there is any justice, Knightley will be nominated for an Oscar. She deserves it. Fiennes is equally good, enjoying his finest screen outing in some time as the cold-hearted Duke who puts his own selfish goals above all else. Their scenes together are spectacularly well-acted. Atwell is demure and understated as Bess, the third wheel in a very complicated relationship. She’s slyly amusing, particularly in scenes she shares at the dining table with the Duke and Duchess. Cooper makes a strong impression turning up the heat as the dashing Grey, especially in a smoldering love scene with Knightley. The ever-reliable Charlotte Rampling is regally comfortable in the role of Lady Spencer, Georgiana’s proper mother, who tries to dole out useful advice against all odds.

Direction: Saul Dibb (Bullet Boy) does not have a long directing resume, but you wouldn’t know it from the first-rate production he has mounted for The Duchess. Dibb recreates the privileged world of these somewhat pained characters with no detail spared. Dibb’s widescreen framing of this historic soap opera is breathtakingly beautiful to see, his obvious filmmaking confidence paying off in a great looking motion picture. But it is a lot more than just pomp and circumstance. Often period dramas tend to get bogged down in spectacle and forget the human element. This is a case where moviegoers will be glued to their seats from first frame to last. It’s a whopper of a story he has adapted (with Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen) that thankfully doesn’t get lost in minutiae. Of particular note are Michael O’Connor’s costumes and Jan Archibald’s loopy hairstyle designs along with a stirring musical score supplied by Rachel Portman.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.