James McDermott
This is a beautifully shot movie, the scenery is sublime it truly does take you away.
The story is a simple tried and tested formula good guys trying to get on with their life bad guy throwing his weight and power around and drive them off.It does capture the flavour of that time and decent attention to detail. I've watched this movie a few times and watched it on DVD with directors commentary which a rarely do, there one thing that Costner said at the end of the commentary something along the lines of " if this is the last film I ever make then I'm quite happy with that and I mean that sincerely " I might not be quoting exactly but it sat with me as it was heartfelt. He knows he made a good job of this movie and I for one am glad he made it.The gunfight at the end is one of the best you'll see in a western albeit infinite ammo time, it's well orchestrated and encompasses the whole town, eventually the townsfolk grow a backbone and get involved, just epic.
daktari666
Open Range is the type of Western I can again and again. I already have watched it several times.
KineticSeoul
This is a old school western that most western fans can enjoy. I really enjoy western films, with it's touch of outlaws, survival and people trying to stand their ground in a lawless land. And it does a pretty fine job of integrating those elements. For viewers that can't stand long drawn out simple plot about how some cowboys did their jobs to get by. This film might not be for you. But if you like traditional western, that seems to be out of a dry and yet traditional novel. This is actually a pretty good watch. But I can also see how people that aren't fans of westerns can get really bored with this. What kept me focused was the partnership between Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. I thought the respect for one another and how they went about their business to be pretty cool. Overall, it's a watchable western but not something that I would sit through again.7.2/10
Leofwine_draca
Some people say the western is dead, but I disagree; once in a while a good one comes along and shakes up people's opinions and generally impresses everybody. The last time was UNFORGIVEN, now it's Costner's OPEN RANGE, which is not up to the level of Eastwood's movie but is still generally pretty good. The biggest problem is the pacing, which is quite slow, but then for somebody who sat through THE POSTMAN, it seemed to go by pretty quick. Not much to say about this really, other than the scenery, the camera-work, and the music are all excellent, and the subdued acting from the cast is fine – with the exception of villain Michael Gambon, who is anything but subdued when he chews the scenery. I still ended up feeling sorry for him though. Costner is definitely on the back-burner here, giving all the major dramatics to buddy Robert Duvall, who is doing very well for a guy who must be about 110 by now. Then again he always looked old.I usually hate Annette Bening but she was excellent here as the love interest, whilst Abraham Benrubi has a small but pivotal role as a fellow cow poke and makes it really sympathetic. The script is intelligent and, although adding nothing new to the genre – at the heart this is a simple revenge story – keeps you interested throughout. Things (eventually) pick up for the hair-raising shoot-out at the end, which makes very good use indeed of loud gunshots and surprising stunts, so is definitely worth waiting for. All in all a good, solid addition to the genre.
AD
