The Ballad Of Lefty Brown (2017)

After his best friend (Peter Fonda) is murdered, an aging cowpoke (Bill Pullman) is bound and determined to seek out his killer (Joseph Lee Anderson) and avenge him. But the fact is, he's incompetent and not very bright. Written and directed by Jared Moshe, this western did the film festival circuit in 2017 but slipped under the radar when it was released (briefly) theatrically last year. It deserved a better fate. Beautifully shot in Montana by David McFarland, this is gritty and often violent western with a strong central performance by Pullman in the title role. As good as he is however, he's too young for the part of a grizzled cowpoke. Other characters refer to him as "old man" but it's clear he's younger than he's playing. Outside of the violence, the film doesn't cater much to contemporary sensibilities. Its western "justice" may be anathema to today's audience but it makes perfect sense in the film. Not a great western by any means but a strong one and if you're a fan of westerns, there's a lot to like here. Excellent underscore by H. Scott Salinas. With Jim Caviezel (PASSION OF THE CHRIST), Kathy Baker, Tommy Flanagan and Diego Josef.