Gunless

With the dearth of any, let alone decent westerns nowadays, this movie was a breath of fresh air. In the vein of the classic Briscoe County, it was a treat to watch. Acting was as well done if not better than the junk Hollywood offers. (Yes, Lower Case!) Obviously I enjoy westerns, and most of the recent movies guised as westerns have not made the grade. I will certainly watch this one again as well as recommend it. Oops, I see I need to write more... I guess simple and succinct doesn't rate. So, sorry, here are a few more lines. Nice to see it was based in Canada - clean skies and a lot of green... duh, am I done yet??? Let's see.

Thank you.

No, this is not the "The Forgotten" or "Dancing with Wolves". This is a comedy Western in the vein of "Cat Ballou" or of "The Frisco Kid" although for me "Gunless" is much more of a hoot. Clearly not a large studio production, this lack of glitz in no way impedes this movie.

With its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, this fun exercise in the cowboy genre never takes itself too seriously. The result is a very watchable light-hearted film.

The hero (The Montana Kid) is played by Paul Gross (Men with Brooms) in an understated yet almost John Wayne manner. I found myself wishing that he and his character would return in a sequel or a TV series. He often made me smile, if not chuckle out loud with his sarcastic deadpan delivery and excellent timing.

The script is well done and the dialogue is sweet and refreshing.

The movie has unabashed heart without being sappy. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. The outtakes at the end are very funny also. Clearly they had a lot of fun making this sweet little nonsense of a movie.

My wife and I just caught this movie in the theatre and we both found it an enjoyable light-hearted western/comedy. To those who have never heard of a Canadian "western," you must be very young because there have been a few, mostly Hollywood, and involving Mounties, but also some home-grown ones, though these never made it to the big screen.

But I digress. This movie is one of good clean fun which the whole family can enjoy. Perhaps this is one of the real complaints for those who compare it to a CBS movie - no gratuitous sex, violence or foul language. If you are going looking for these elements you'll be sorely disappointed. It does make a political statement regarding some differences between Canadians and Americans, and against handguns (though thankfully doesn't group shotguns and rifles into the same category). However, overall, the production values are quite high, especially for a low-budget movie - something I think many people tend to forget - and certainly compared to a CBS movie-of-the-week special. You can't even pay the salary of a lead Hollywood actor for $10 million.

Generally this movie should appeal to those who go in with realistic expectations, and of course fans of Paul Gross. Oh, and watch the credits for a time before you leave the theatre.

It felt just so good to be watching this pleasant non-political, no-gore, light-hearted comedy. I for one would definitely pay to watch more of such movies. This really is the definition of good clean fun. I loved the story-idea, the various little sub-plots (especially Jack, the Blacksmith one), and the acting of all the characters was pretty competent. Sure, it had an amateurish feel to it from time to time, but that didn't take away from the fun of watching the movie. My only complaint are that the villain could have been a little more menacing and/or a little more funny - he ended up being neither. My only serious complaint is the hairdo the protagonist sports - that was a disaster!

This is a lighthearted Canadian western (if there is such a thing). I don't think this film has a lot of international appeal but for those of us who live in Canada, I believe that this film is one to try out! The comedy in this film is cute, and the action is not bad considering how many cast members are in this film. But this is what gives this film its charm.

But what really pulls this film off is the scenery, I believe they filmed this out in Osoyoos BC (in the interior) and you really can't complain about the beautiful night sky full of stars, and the rugged dusty terrain of one of the most charming parts of BC.

Overall, this ain't no Unforgiven but it is a unique, Canadian made, film that is fun to watch.