Jane Got a Gun

Natalie Portman stars as Jane Hammond, a pistol-packin' frontierswoman in the New Mexico Territory. The story begins in 1871, when Jane's husband, Bill (Noah Emmerich), comes home after having been shot several times by the Bishop Boys, who are led by villainous John (Ewan McGregor). And Bill says that they are coming to wreak revenge. After depositing their daughter with a neighbor, Jane enlists help from her brooding ex-fiancé: gunslinger Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton), who stayed away too long fighting in the Civil War, but now dwells nearby. Together, they fortify the Hammond homestead, preparing for the Bishops' siege. Muddled flashbacks reveal that seven years earlier Jane left Missouri with her young daughter in tow, and joined a wagon train, only to be kidnapped and forced into prostitution—until Bill saved her. Heavy-handedly directed by Gavin O'Connor at a snail's pace, Jane Got a Gun was plagued by production problems, including the departures of original director Lynne Ramsay, stars Michael Fassbender and Jude Law, and cinematographer Darius Khondji. Whether the film would have been better with the original crew is uncertain, but this version is a disappointment. Optional. (S. Granger)