Open Range

Kevin Costner’s third directorial effort is his best, a somber western about free-grazing cowboys coming to terms with a fenced in world. Robert Duvall and Costner are excellent as said cowboys looking for revenge after one of their buddies is killed in an ambush. Costner takes full effect of his scenery (the film, set in America, was actually shot in Canada) with a movie that looks stunning. His staging might be slow at first for some, but the buildup to a nasty climactic shootout is effective. Annette Bening is along for the ride as part of a sweet, romantic subplot. She and Costner make a good screen couple. One of the summer’s better films.