In a Valley of Violence

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With In A Valley of Violence, Ti West takes the plot of John Wick and turns it into a western. Although this isn't as ultra-violent as the Keanu Reeves vehicle, the story is identical. Local boss' son kills the bad man's dog and the bad man gets revenge by killing everyone in his path. In this case, the reason there isn't such a huge body count is laughably because the town of Denton literally has only 9 residents living in it: the Marshal, his four deputies including his son, the two women, the bartender, and the general store manager. Oh yeah, and there's a preacher roaming around somewhere out there. Yeah, I know, quite silly. But silliness in this homage to spaghetti westerns is part of what makes it so enjoyable. It gets pretty intense at times too; it's by no means a comedy. What can I say? This is no Unforgiven but I enjoyed it all the same. If you like westerns and also like films that pay respect to film history, check this one out. You won't be disappointed.

This film tells the story of a lone man who travels around with his dog in the cowboy country. The lone man stumbles upon a town where the son of the marshal picks a fight with him, leading to a series of bloody revenges. "In a Valley of Violence" has a very simple and linear plot. The lone man is aggravated, there is revenge then more counter-revenge. The simplicity of the plot means that the pace is quite slow. I find the first half rather uneventful and lacks excitement. The second half picks up and is much better. I like Ethan Hawke's calm character, standing up to the son of the marshal, who is the local bully. The local bully evokes disgust as he is very unlikable. I am not usually a fan of Western films, but "In a Valley of Violence" is alright to watch.

I like Ethan Hawke and I like John Travolta or used to and I love Westerns so I thought I'd give this a shot. Another reviewer said the cast was good but the script could have been written by a Grade School class and that isn't out of the question. They take all the most stereotypical aspects of Westerns to the point where its almost spoofing. It uses elements from every Sergio Leone Wester, High Plains Drifter, First Blood, John Wick and it drives home that point. At times you feel like it's almost laughable BUT the cast is very good. They seem to be taking it very seriously and it makes the film watchable. It might be one of the only movies I've seen that is equally ridiculous as it does serious and entertaining. It has some genuinely outrageous moments and yet you still somehow buy into it. It's almost stunning to watch it unfold. Ethan Hawke is far more captivating and good than the film deserves. He channels a Clint Eastwood stranger very well and a little bit of a back story helps make him more mysterious. I had hoped his anger of vengeance would be a little bit more thorough and brutal but he still serves a purpose and his character is well developed for a story lacking truth depth. John Travolta has a very small role and it's an interesting role because he isn't really the villain but rather a victim of circumstance in this case. His death is hilarious in some sense but the performance is quite good. James Ransone is more the villain as Travolta's son and a bit of a nitwit bully. He's not exactly a worthy enemy to Hawke but he works as a vile character. Taissa Farmiga is a young girl trying to come to grips with losing a husband and becomes enamoured with Hawke's stranger. She is also a victim of circumstance ultimately but her character and the connection to Hawke is interesting enough. Toby Huss, Tommy Nohilly and Michael Davis all have decent small roles in the support cast. It makes a lot of sense that Ti West writes and directs this film. He has a background in really low budget horror and there is so much about this film that would be ridiculed and passed over by a lot of people but I liked it for the brainless entertainment it was. It paid an homage to an age old Spaghetti genre and the performances were much better than the film itself. It has little depth but somehow has a backstory worth watching. It is genuinely one of the best bad movies I've seen in a long time if not ever. As a Western fan you can't help but enjoy it. I truly see it as a respectful tribute to the genre. Check it out but keep your expectations proper. It's not Unforgiven, it's a Saturday matinée popcorn flick for adults. 8/10