Ethan Hawke

John Travolta

Taissa Farmiga

James Ransone

Karen Gillan

Burn Gorman

Toby Huss

Larry Fessenden

Kaius Harrison

Tommy Nohilly

Jeff Bairstow

Michael Davis

James Cady

James E. Lane

Jumpy

Ti West

Ed Duran

Jeff Grace

John N. Ward

Linda Favila

Anson Downes

Alix Taylor

David L. Schiff

Jeanette Volturno

Jacob Jaffke

Tomas Deckaj

Al Goto

Matthew Lee Christmas

Tyler Forsberg

David Midthunder

Gabriel Nunez

Wes Trudell

Sarah Doneier

Scott Christopher Clark

Steve Trujillo

David Trujillo

Orlando B. Montoya

Duprelon Tizdale

Linda B. Gore

Dale Lotreck

Erick Castillo

Phoebe Krueger

Steve Banister

Brett Latter

Darryl L. Frank

Joe 'Primo' Heise

Renate Leuschner

Ivy Ermert

Lisa Hill

Copper Perry

Danielle Noe

Robyn MacKenzie

Kerry Newberry

Derek M. Chavez

Aurelia Corcoran

Christina Stoltenberg

Jon Baran

Hank Herrera

Bob Baxter

Khalic Nance

Jessica Drake

Peter Phok

Graham Reznick

William J. Holden

Tom Efinger

Harrison Meyle

Eric W. Lindermann

Abigail Savage

Matt Salib

Terry Boyd Jr.

Dan Douglass

Caleb Hollenback

Paul Bruski

Jeff Seelye

Derek Casari

Michael Eaves

Jorge Reyes

Jason Blum

Terri Taylor

Eric Robbins

Jade Healy

R. A. Arancio-Parrain

Adam Willis

Malgosia Turzanska

Vicki M. McWilliams

Derek Bensonhaver

Ben Lowney

Scott Rasmussen

Mara Herdmann

Neal Jonas

Jennifer Louise Tillery

Edgar Duncan

Maria Bentfield

Lora McKenny

Kathy Oberlin

Sarah Domeier Lindo

Ally Conover

Ari Robbins

Brian Freesh

Lewis Jacobs

Ursula Coyote

Scott Clark

David R. Kohn

Michael Drucker

Western

Action

In a Valley of Violence

Blumhouse Productions

United States of America

English

civil war

revenge

murder

killer

cowboy

Reno

**In the old west, it's always about the revenge!**

Believe it or not, this is the western version of 'John Wick'. Same storyline except it takes place in the desert of the old west. A man who had enough killing native Americans, is now abandoned everything and heading towards Mexico for a fresh start. But on a way in a small town, he gets into a trouble. After surviving the assault, he goes back to hunt them all and like most of the western film, the end is predictable.

This is not a bad flick, but it was not fresh enough, either its story or the gun fights. With a bunch of decent actors, a decently made film. The characters were limited, the atmosphere was like deserted. So the overall narration was focused on a few characters in its entire 100 minute run. I felt sorry for Travolta, they did not get anything out of him, he just had a presence and nothing else. In other hand Ethan was okay, but his role was designed as an average man in the old west, not a powerful one as we expect in this type of film.

The title says it all, but it was not that ruthless as compared to the most of the similar western films I have seen. Mostly it will bring a disappointment for its viewers, but definitely a few would enjoy it for its simpleness. For me, it was an average, but thought it could have been better, particularly in the gun battle. So it's nothing more than just once watchable with a low expectation.

_6/10_

The Denton Rapscallion.

In a Valley of Violence is written and directed by Ti West. It stars Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransome, Karen Gillan and John Travolta. Music is by Jeff Grace and cinematography by Eric Robbins.

Ethan Hawke plays Paul, an ex soldier accompanied only by his dog, Abbie, who is drifting across the desert towards Mexico. Stopping off in the dying town of Denton, Paul finds trouble that will have consequences for himself and town alike.

Ti West is more well known for his horror ventures, where although divisive in that genre sphere, he can be proud of his success rate. Here he tackles the Western, and true to form, he homages past genre masters whilst unmistakably putting his own stamp on things. Opening with credits straight out of Spaghetti Western land, and introducing us to a musical score that will accompany the story that is wonderfully feverish, West is in no hurry for blood and bone shenanigans. He always favours the slow burn and so it proves here.

There's nothing remotely new here, it's a standard tale of a gunman - one damaged by his war efforts - who through circumstance is forced to abandon his hope of a quiet life. He's a loner man of few words, thus giving viewers a classic Western character staple, an anti-hero to root for and for us to yearn for him to find peace. When the violence comes, it's sharp and bloody, but often there is humour as well, deftly inserted into proceedings, whilst the canine is skillful and a key character to all and sundry.

Perfs are more than adequate. Hawke sifts seamlessly into being a believable drifter type of complexity, Ransome is annoyingly brattish, but that's actually job well done, and Travolta - sporting a wooden leg - gets better once (and if) you buy into him in this setting. Gillan isn't given much to do, but lands some decent emotive punches, but it's Farmiga who stands out as Mary-Anne. She's utterly infectious and thankfully she gets a well written part, that of a young woman trying to hold her own in the most trying of township circumstance.

The purpose built town of Denton looks just that!, but this is off- set a touch by the nice location landscapes (Santa Fe, New Mexico), and with the story working from solid genre foundations then this is a pleasure - without pulling up any trees - for fans of such. 7/10

Ethan Hawke and John Travolta's Intense Scene

Bath Time

Ethan Hawke and John Travolta Go Head-To-Head

Official Trailer

In a Valley of Violence( 2016)

A man can only take so much!

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A review by Reno

Written by Reno on Sat Jan 14 2017

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