Accomplished character actor Tim Blake Nelson takes the lead in writer & director Potsy Ponciroli's horse opera "Old Henry," one of the best frontier fracases since Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning "Unforgiven." "Unforgiven" and "Old Henry" share many similarities. In "Unforgiven" (1992), notorious gunslinger William Munny (Eastwood) had gone straight, bought a farm, and settled down. He'd gotten himself hitched, too. His wife Claudia and he had two kids. He eked out an honest living raising hogs. Tragically, Claudia succumbed to smallpox. Later, disease ravaged his pigs. Leaving his kids to fend for themselves, Munny took his shotgun and rode off to get enough cash to change his fate. Similarly, Nelson plays an equally nefarious frontiersman. Having forsaken his six-gun, he settled down, got hitched, and sired a son. Furthermore, like William Munny, Henry McCarthy (Tim Blake Nelson of "O, Brother, Where Art Thou") lost his wife to tuberculosis, a disease often called 'consumption.' As a single parent, McCarthy has struggled to raise his son on the farm. Interestingly, before he turned to farming, McCarthy was a legendary desperado, who had been shot to death reportedly in the Arizona Territory in 1881. Since cheating death, McCarthy has laid low as a farmer. Nobody knows Henry's true identity, except his brother-in-law, Al (Trace Adkins of "The Outsider"), his closest neighbor and his only surviving kin. Altogether, "Unforgiven" and "Old Henry" paint a bleak picture of frontier life. Nothing about the depiction of the Old West in either film could be described as glamorous. Farming lasted from before dawn until after dark. It was as back-breaking as it was soul-eroding. Diseases exacted a toll on both man and beast. "Unforgiven" and "Old Henry" look incredibly authentic. The violence erupts suddenly, often fatally, with neither the hero nor villain observing strict rules of fair play. Who wants to play fair when their life hangs in the balance?
"Old Henry" takes place in the Oklahoma Territory in 1906. Our protagonist learns that no man is safe from scrutiny, even on an isolated frontier farm. Shrewdly, before we actually meet Henry McCarthy, writer & director Ponciroli introduces the villains. Sheriff Ketchum (Stephen Dorff of "Blade") and his deputies are tracking down thieves who made off with a substantial amount of paper money. Living up to his last name, Ketchum captures one of the thieves. They beat this unfortunate fellow mercilessly for information and then trim a tree with his corpse. Before they strung him up, Ketchum strangled him personally, using the noose with which they would dangle him. You'll abhor Ketchum because he is a full-blown, bad-to-the-bone, dastard. Ironically, he can be terribly conversational when he meets somebody. While he palavers, he whittles away on a piece of wood. Adding to this irony, Ketchum is carving a dove! Ketchum and company wounded Curry (Scott Haze of "Midnight Special"), but then they lost his trail. As it turns out, Henry McCarthy discovered Curry while he was out riding. Reluctantly, our hero takes this stranger and his satchel full of cash back home. Afterward, he lashes him down to a bed to keep him from falling off it and reopening his wound. Curry breaks loose and attacks McCarthy's son Wyatt (Gavin Lewis of "Maximum Ride"), but our hero surprises Curry and knocks him unconscious. Later, he digs the bullet out of the outlaw's chest. No sooner has he dealt decisively with Curry than McCarthy watches with suspicion as Ketchum and company ride onto his property. Armed with a six-gun, McCarthy emerges on his porch and denies seeing a wounded desperado. Before Ketchum and his deputies withdraw, you can feel the ominous tension simmering between these two headstrong adversaries. Ketchum and McCarthy are destined to tangle, and only the savvy will survive. Primarily, Ketchum withdrew out of initial caution because he didn't like the way McCarthy held a revolver. Later, he explains to his deputies that McCarthy didn't hold the gun like any sodbuster he'd ever seen.
"Old Henry" drums up considerable suspense and tension before the inevitable showdown and then metes out its blistering violence with a bang. Basically, what unfolds is a home invasion situation, with our hero defending his property, shielding the stranger, and keeping his son Wyatt alive. Predictably, just as McCarthy is clearly no ordinary farmer, we learn Ketchum may not be the bona fide lawman as he claims. Nobody cuts anybody any slack when the shooting starts. "Old Henry" qualifies as an atmospheric, white-knuckled, clash of titans, with neither opponent backing down. For example, when one of Ketchum's deputies crawls under the house to shoot up through the floor, McCarthy flushes the varmint out with repeated blasts from his double-barreled shotgun. Of course, some surprises will be more apparent than others, but nobody emerges from this mêlée unscathed as swarms of flying lead fill the air. Tim Blake Nelson asserts a commanding presence throughout this no-nonsense shoot'em up, while Stephen Dorff is unforgettable as McCarthy's vile, sadistic enemy. Lensed on a low budget in Tennessee, "Old Henry" manages to look both as memorable and authentic as some of Hollywood's finest, twentieth century horse operas, like "Unforgiven."
"Old Henry" takes place in the Oklahoma Territory in 1906. Our protagonist learns that no man is safe from scrutiny, even on an isolated frontier farm. Shrewdly, before we actually meet Henry McCarthy, writer & director Ponciroli introduces the villains. Sheriff Ketchum (Stephen Dorff of "Blade") and his deputies are tracking down thieves who made off with a substantial amount of paper money. Living up to his last name, Ketchum captures one of the thieves. They beat this unfortunate fellow mercilessly for information and then trim a tree with his corpse. Before they strung him up, Ketchum strangled him personally, using the noose with which they would dangle him. You'll abhor Ketchum because he is a full-blown, bad-to-the-bone, dastard. Ironically, he can be terribly conversational when he meets somebody. While he palavers, he whittles away on a piece of wood. Adding to this irony, Ketchum is carving a dove! Ketchum and company wounded Curry (Scott Haze of "Midnight Special"), but then they lost his trail. As it turns out, Henry McCarthy discovered Curry while he was out riding. Reluctantly, our hero takes this stranger and his satchel full of cash back home. Afterward, he lashes him down to a bed to keep him from falling off it and reopening his wound. Curry breaks loose and attacks McCarthy's son Wyatt (Gavin Lewis of "Maximum Ride"), but our hero surprises Curry and knocks him unconscious. Later, he digs the bullet out of the outlaw's chest. No sooner has he dealt decisively with Curry than McCarthy watches with suspicion as Ketchum and company ride onto his property. Armed with a six-gun, McCarthy emerges on his porch and denies seeing a wounded desperado. Before Ketchum and his deputies withdraw, you can feel the ominous tension simmering between these two headstrong adversaries. Ketchum and McCarthy are destined to tangle, and only the savvy will survive. Primarily, Ketchum withdrew out of initial caution because he didn't like the way McCarthy held a revolver. Later, he explains to his deputies that McCarthy didn't hold the gun like any sodbuster he'd ever seen.
"Old Henry" drums up considerable suspense and tension before the inevitable showdown and then metes out its blistering violence with a bang. Basically, what unfolds is a home invasion situation, with our hero defending his property, shielding the stranger, and keeping his son Wyatt alive. Predictably, just as McCarthy is clearly no ordinary farmer, we learn Ketchum may not be the bona fide lawman as he claims. Nobody cuts anybody any slack when the shooting starts. "Old Henry" qualifies as an atmospheric, white-knuckled, clash of titans, with neither opponent backing down. For example, when one of Ketchum's deputies crawls under the house to shoot up through the floor, McCarthy flushes the varmint out with repeated blasts from his double-barreled shotgun. Of course, some surprises will be more apparent than others, but nobody emerges from this mêlée unscathed as swarms of flying lead fill the air. Tim Blake Nelson asserts a commanding presence throughout this no-nonsense shoot'em up, while Stephen Dorff is unforgettable as McCarthy's vile, sadistic enemy. Lensed on a low budget in Tennessee, "Old Henry" manages to look both as memorable and authentic as some of Hollywood's finest, twentieth century horse operas, like "Unforgiven."