Welcome to the Shrine to Actors

I raced out this past weekend to grab myself the DVD copy of Appaloosa, the western starring Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Renée Zellweger, and Jeremy Irons. I almost said “unfortunately Renée Zellweger”, but her performance didn’t seem quite as jarring the second time around. I used to like Zellweger, but when she got popular and they started casting her in everything, she ended up in a lot of roles she wasn’t particularly suited for. And after awhile, it seemed her acting became a caricature of itself and her super pursed lips were inspiring more laughs than dramatic empathy.

Here Renée Zellweger’s sort of overall silliness perhaps suits the simpleness of the character, Allison French. We really aren’t meant to like this opportunistic woman who bats her eyelashes and coos and tries to bend men to her will. The fact that she wields such power says more about the men than it does about her. That’s one of the charms of this film: Appaloosa is really all about the quirky and interesting people in it, and what goes on between them, rather than the typical shoot-em-up plot.

Granted, there’s still plenty of shoot-em-up and wonderful testosterone-fueled posturing and gunplay in Appaloosa. But there’s more delight in watching Harris and Mortensen’s interaction as two traveling peacekeepers for hire, who’ve been together for a dozen years and can communicate with a look and know how to finish each other’s sentences. Harris’ Virgil Cole is the alpha male, gruffer and bolder and unapologetic, while Mortensen’s Everett Hitch is the educated one, more sensitive, and more careful. Cole makes all the big moves and Hitch backs him up–and then sometimes Hitch smooths things over with the locals.

Hitch is ready with his eight-gauge shotgun… (*Click* pics for much larger versions.)

Scoping out the new lady in town…

Hitch tends to do a lot of lurking in the film, keeping an eye on things, being a quiet observer. So we get lots of cool shots like this, over his shoulder, taking in the whole scene…

The man makes one hell of a sexy entrance. Love the mid-length coat.

Hitch carefully watches his buddy Cole’s reaction to Ms. French…

…and he’s amused.

Carefully holding his teacup. Viggo adds interesting little mannerisms to the character, a careful exactness about everything he does. He always tips his hat up the same way. He adjusts his jacket and cuffs so they are perfect. He arranges both his silverware and his guns methodically. Viggo’s always been wonderful at subtlety of expression and meaningful movements. He can say more with the way he slowly turns his hand or curls his fingers than many actors do with a million more overt gestures.

Smirking in the darkness as he winds Cole up…

The two men chat about women and enemies, while Hitch stands with seductively languid grace in the doorway…

Giving Cole another one of those looks…

And another to show he’s not pleased…

He gets a look back…

…and now he does his best to go with it. Amazing what one steely-eyed gaze can do.

Hope you enjoyed the Appaloosa screencaps and the wonderful cowboy goodness that is Viggo Mortensen. I’m sure I’ll pull more from this film at a later date.

Viggo Mortensen Appaloosa screencaps, c2008 New Line Cinema.