The Hi-Lo Country

There are only two reasons to watch director Stephen Frears' (Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifers) sorry-assed excuse for a Western: Carter Burwell and Woody Harrelson. Once again, the brilliant Burwell has composed a score (as in Storyville) that the movie doesn't even begin to live up to. And, goshdarnit, Woody Harrelson continues to surprise (he was also one of the only reasons to watch Wag the Dog). In this late '40s lust in the dust triangle, Harrelson plays Big Boy, a rough-talking, brass-balled, indie rancher who resists the deep wallet of modern conglomerate-style rancher Jim Ed Love (a one-expression performance by Sam Elliott), but not the siren charms of his right hand man's little lady, Mona (Patricia Arquette). Mona is the weak second leg of the triangle, a cryptic pouter who exudes zip-point-diddly in erotic allure, but that's more than enough, apparently, to attract both Big Boy and his best buddy, Pete Calder (Billy Crudup), Big Boy's utterly inscrutable homey on the range. I will tell you this: the tag line "a woman like Mona can drive men to extremes" is exactly no more and no less erudite than the entire film. Consider the soundtrack; skip the movie. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Dec. 4, 2012—Shout! Factory, 114 min., R, $19.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1998's The Hi-Lo Country sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital stereo sound, but no extras. Bottom line: essentially a re-release that adds nothing, this misfire still boasts a stellar soundtrack.]