The Ballad of Lefty Brown

Set in Montana in 1889, this rambling, old-fashioned frontier Western begins on a rain-soaked night as a dying man staggers out of a saloon and collapses on the muddy road. Sheriff Edward Johnson (Peter Fonda) and his trusty, if inept, sidekick Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) quickly corner and catch the culprit, stringing him up on the nearest tree the next morning. Johnson is headed for Washington, D.C., as a senator from the newly ratified 41st state. But before leaving, he's determined to catch rustlers who just stole three of his horses. As they ride across the desolate plains, Johnson and Brown are bushwhacked, leaving Johnson dead and limping Lefty blamed by his longtime partner's widow (Kathy Baker), who is fearful she will lose their ranch to some distant male relative because her husband neglected to will it to her. Shortly after Lefty takes off to track down the cold-blooded killer, he is joined by teenage Jeremiah (Diego Josef), a gullible, wannabe gunslinger who has read too many dime novels—many of which incorporate Johnson and Lefty's fictionalized adventures. Also on hand are hard-drinking U.S. Marshal Tom Harrah (Tommy Flanagan) and scheming Governor Jimmy Bierce (Jim Caviezel), who eagerly envisions the coming of the railroad. Written and directed by Jared Moshe, this is a splendidly photographed—albeit somewhat scattershot and slowly-paced—revenge saga. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Jared Moshé and star Bill Pullman, the behind-the-scenes segments “Bringing Truth to Myth: Inside the Characters” (17 min.) and “Designing the Look” (13 min.), and deleted scenes (10 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven Western.] (S. Granger)