Appaloosa

The western Appaloosa may not be quite as slick and polished as James Mangold's 2007 "3:10 To Yuma" remake was, but the fact that it has Ed Harris in the lead (who also writes and produces and directs) plus a superb supporting cast including Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renee Zellweger more than trumps that. Harris plays Virgil Cole, who, with partner Everett Hitch (Mortensen), are guns for hire tapped to protect a small New Mexico Territory town from the nefarious Randall Bragg (Irons) and his gang of ruffians. The arrival of the fair widow Allison French (Zellweger) unravels the lives of all of them.

Based on the book by Robert (B.) Parker, the story is a little long-winded, but so gorgeously shot and finely acted that one can't help but think that this is the "Deadwood" feature that never was. Master juggler Harris, his first time behind the camera since his 2000 debut with "Pollock," inhabits his role flawlessly, and his rapport with Mortensen's slightly jaded sidekick is fantastic. And it's easy to imagine Harris giving Irons a knife and fork and asking him to make a meal of the scenery; he devours it so gleefully.

There's not a bevy of special features, but the richness of the film makes up for it. The commentary track by Harris and co-writer/co-producer Robert Knott is pretty dry, and a couple of minor behind-the-scenes featurettes don't shed too much light on the production. There are also some deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Harris and Knott. With the nifty "Digital Copy" feature, though, you can port the movie to your desktop or laptop PC (sorry, MacHeads!), and watch this satisfying display of badassery whenever and wherever you'd like.