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That would be Myrl Redding (John Cusack), a horse-breeder of limited means but a deeply entrenched sense of justice. His independence galls Henry Ballard (L.Q. Jones), the crusty land baron out to set his brand on most of the countryside. Ballard insults and cheats Redding several times over, and his men beat Redding's horse trainer and friend, an Indian (Rodney A. Grant). When Redding seeks redress from the law, its agents can't be bothered (the local magistrate is in Ballard's pocket). So Redding musters a vigilante army to enforce his own law.
Scratch this handsome but rigorously unromanticized Western--fully an hour passes without a shot being fired--and you find the classic Heinrich von Kleist book Michael Kohlhaas transposed to Wyoming Territory on the eve of statehood. The script--by the star-producer's dad, Dick Cusack--is sturdy and uncompromising, willing to engage the knotty ambiguities of embracing vigilantism even in a just cause. Badham's decision to treat the authorities (Scott Wilson, Jay O. Sanders, John Goodman) as period caricatures is regrettable. But John Cusack is solid as a figure of utterly matter-of-fact integrity. --Richard T. Jameson
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strong,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Jack Bull (DVD)
To those of us who follow any of HBO's original programming, it should come as no surprise that a film on the level of THE JACK BULL premieres on HBO. While the folks out in Hollywood are busy heaping money on so-called films such as AMERICAN OUTLAWS and TEXAS RANGERS, leave it to HBO and John Cusak to come up with the good stuff. Though the big screen fare is far glossier (and no doubt costlier), Cusak's gritty western is simply far superior. Boasting a cast including Cusak, John C. McGinley, John Goodman, and L. Q. Jones, the film out-acts its big screen competitors by a mile and a half. Combine it with a cold, smart, gritty screenplay by Cusak's dad and strong direction by John Badham and you have a film worthy of inclusion among really good Westerns. f you want to see Ashton Kutcher, James Van Der Beek, Colin Farrell, or Usher Raymond, you'll have to rent the other two. But if you want to see something more on par with Clint Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN, well then, THE JACK BULL is calling your name!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic western.,
By
This review is from: The Jack Bull (DVD)
A fine example of what a western can be without being the stereotypical "western". Fantastic acting, directing, cinematography, etc. I gather this movie was shot around the same time as Braveheart, because not only do they share a similar mood, there are parallels in the stories themselves. I'm not going to go into the story itself other than to say it's not the kind of story I thought it would be. It's not really a revenge story, nor is it a "protect the weak" story that we're all too familiar with. I won't say it's original either, but it does seem to be a new idea in the western genre. At least, it's new to me.John Cusack serves the story well with his everyman persona and fluid dialogue delivery, but my favorite was John C. McGinley. As strong an actor as he is and with such a big personality as he seems to have, to play such an understated character as well as he does is a testament to his acting chops. John Goodman is great in his part, though I feel like I see him in these kind of roles frequently. Maybe I don't, but it seems a very familiar performance. LQ Jones is perfect for his role in this as the weaselly Henry Ballard. I recommend it, though it's rather difficult to find. A nice HD version would be great to see, too.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but Lacking,
By Jack Barrett "tool108" (ash of the wishbone) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Jack Bull (DVD)
If your looking for a realistic western than this is the best you can do. No epic bloodshed(as with spaghetti westerns)and no overly macho heroes(typical american westerns). This film is about and is based on a true story and its one of the only movies I know of that doesnt take its "artistic license" too far. This movie keeps its realistic edge while still managing to entertain. That being said, its also a sad movie that leaves you with an empty used feeling at the end. Watching a movie and feeling worse than you did when starting it is in my opinion the mark of a film that has too much of a downward slope. Anyways do not highly reccomend to anybody unless they want a realistic movie that will make you feel sad and used.
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