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: Changeling is another Oscar-worthy masterpiece from director Clint Eastwood – a harrowing, emotionally gripping movie you won’t be able to get out of your head for days.

Story: Not to be confused with the 1979 ghost story The Changeling, this Changeling is a horror story of a very different stripe. Based on a long forgotten case buried deep in the L.A. crime files, this true tale revolves around the mysterious 1928 disappearance of 9-year-old Walter Collins. Set in an election year and with heavy political pressure on city officials and a corrupt LAPD, they find a child five months later, who they claim is Walter, and arrange to reunite him with his mother, Christine (Angelina Jolie). Only problem is she says this is not her kid. When she asks the police to continue trying to find her son, she finds herself victimized and accused of being insane and unfit for not going along with the PR campaign informing the public that the police have solved the case. With the help of a community activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich), she begins to fight the city and the police who try in every way to silence her, even committing her to a mental institution. The film details not only her valiant quest to right a wrong and find her real son but serves as a probing indictment of the police state 1920’s Los Angeles had become.

Acting: As in her searing portrayal of the pregnant Marianne Pearl in last year’s A Mighty Heart, Angelina Jolie once again connects with her maternal side. In another challenging role, she must exhibit a wide emotional range, going from fear to anguish to anger to pure resolve in an effort to uncover the mystery of her son’s abduction. Splendidly outfitted in ‘20s garb, Jolie delves deep into the soul of a woman who dared to go against the grain and challenge a corrupt police department in Prohibition-era L.A. She’s simply remarkable in the most intense, determined and heartbreaking role of her career. As the man who helps out in her cause, Malkovich is perfectly matched to Jolie. As the merciless Captain Jones, who heads the investigation to find Walter, Jeffrey Donovan (TV’s “Burn Notice”) is properly frustrating and imposing, while Colm Feore gets the evil side of his LAPD police chief down pat. Nailing her few scenes, Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) plays a fellow psycho-ward inmate, who helps Christine when she is institutionalized. Particularly impressive is Eddie Alderson as the 15-year-old nephew of the serial killer, who leads police to a grisly crime scene and his uncle, played a bit over the top by Jason Butler Harner. And filling out their juvenile roles nicely are Gattlin Griffith as Walter and eerie Devon Conti as the young man impersonating him.

Direction: Clint Eastwood knows his way around ominous, foreboding material, so it’s no wonder he was instantly attracted to J. Michael Stracynski’s immaculately researched script. After Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, Eastwood exhibits a strong understanding of the dark side of human nature. Changeling fits right in with his oeuvre, and he delivers yet another superbly crafted and acted film – one that exists on two separate levels as a look at the corruption that crept into the LAPD of the era and as an impassioned journey of a woman trying to find a happy ending for herself and her son. Shot with the director’s usual ease, Eastwood seems comfortable letting the almost unbelievable facts of the story speak for themselves and remarkably didn’t change a word of Stracynski’s fascinating screenplay. He doesn’t have to. The fact that it’s a true story, that all really happened, is simply incredible by itself. This is an unforgettable triumph for everyone involved.

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