In a Valley of Violence

Western tropes are served up with some shrewd satire, a dollop of horror-movie gore, and an ersatz Ennio Morricone score in filmmaker Ti West's genially goofy oater, which tells a simple revenge story with a twist. The hero, a drifter named Paul (Ethan Hawke), squares off against the residents of a dusty border town not because his wife or family have been killed, but because of the murder of his dog Abbie (played by a remarkably expressive canine named Jumpy). On the run to Mexico after going AWOL from the army, Paul reaches the dismal burg of Denton, where he has a run-in with a loudmouth named Gilly (James Ransone)—the son and deputy of the town marshal (John Travolta). Paul is subsequently ordered to get out of town, but Gilly and his confederates attack him on the trail, killing Abbie and leaving Paul for dead. He survives, of course, and seeks vengeance with some assistance from talkative hotel clerk Mary-Anne (Taissa Farmiga), whose older sister (Karen Gillan) is Gilly's adoring girlfriend. Much of the fun here comes from West's cheeky nods to genre conventions, although the effect is undercut by the threadbare production values. At once homage and send-up, In a Valley of Violence winds up being fitfully amusing. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for an uneven but often engaging film.] (F. Swietek)