Never Grow Old

Emile Hirsch and John Cusack, two actor’s whose careers have seen better times, star in this dark Western about a religious town that’s visited by the devil. The devil would be Dutch Albert (Cusack), a sleazy gunslinger businessman who arrives in an old frontier town that has outlawed liquor and promptly opens a saloon. The mayhem that follows him has a body count, and the local undertaker, Patrick (Hirsch), starts making a fine profit off of all the kills. Feeling conflicted over the fact that more money for his family also means a lot of people and friends dying, Patrick starts having thoughts about rising up against Dutch, but many will die before Patrick works up the gumption to make a move. Both actors are very good here, with Cusack delivering his best work since his excellent turn in Love & Mercy. He’s played bad guys before, but this guy is really bad, and Cusack seizes the opportunity to let the evil out. Hirsch is decent as the good guy who needs to buck up and do the right thing. Both actors have been doing duty in subpar movies of late, like John Travolta, Nicolas Cage and Bruce Willis, so it’s been awhile since they’ve done anything of note. Hopefully, their strong turns here will get them back on track (Available for rent on iTunes and Amazon.com during a limited theatrical release).