The Mustanger and the Lady

I took a shot at this based on a few early rave reviews of 9 and 10. This ain't Unforgiven. A young woman works at a bordello in Kentucky in 1899. It seems as she has become the mistress of the owner in a beautiful house. He hires a really nasty man to beat up people who owe him money. After a while he tires of his young mistress and she seeks freedom from him. A good guy appears and the rest is pretty formula; nothing new here. The lead actress is Australian but she manages a southern accent fairly well. The cast is competent and the story moves along without any dead spots. The scenery is nice and the ending a bit of a surprise. Overall, it is o.k.

... by far the best part of this production was the last few minutes of the ending... otherwise it was stereotypical down to the bad guys and sidekicks... it would have made a very good first couple episodes of a four-part-mini-series.

I loved this movie. The setting felt very real. The characters were fully developed and the theme of a western told from the point of view of a woman that is the mercy of a male-dominated society is not a voice that is heard often, but here, told remarkably well. I have seen this movie twice and enjoyed it even more upon the second viewing.

This film is pure art. From the score, to many of the actors, a hidden gem. Out of the straight to video pile come some of my favourite westerns and Painted Woman is now on that list. Do not come looking for action however. Though there may be a few violent scenes, this is a steady, and even somewhat slow paced tale of hardship, perseverance and love in the old west. Kiowa Gordon (Chato), Stef Dawson (Julie Richards), Matt Dallas (Frank Dean) and David Jenkins (Vince Wagner), are some of my highlights. Of special note, however, is Laurel Harris (Ellie Anderson). From her first scene, it is obvious that this actress is not just performing but also putting her spirit into the film. She captured me in her mannerisms and speech. She radiated heart, a compassion that not only her character possessed, but no doubt, Ms. Harris herself. Amazing. Amazing. Quick kudo to David Bruster's rendition of "Pig in a Pen". Why is that song not on the soundtrack?

I really enjoyed this film and have to say, visually, it's stunning. Our country really does have some beautiful scenery and Cotten shows us just what natural treasures we have right under our nose. The story here is also tight and to the point. In the days of overblown blockbusters where what's actually happening doesn't matter as much what it looks like, Cotten and Lindley hone in on a sweet but powerful story of a woman coming into her own in a time when that kind of thing wasn't exactly encouraged. There's also no shortage of villains, heroes, and gun play to satisfy your thirst for Old West action. Do yourself a favor and check out a film that shows you how to do a powerful, intimate story in epic fashion. Enjoy!