Ed Harris directs himself and Viggo Mortensen in a Western that is so old-fashioned it even carries a troubling dose of old-fashioned sexism. The two male stars have a nice, often wordless rapport as two gunmen and longtime friends who are hired by the residents of Appaloosa to protect them from a sadistic outlaw (Jeremy Irons). The real trouble, however, exists with Renee Zellweger’s duplicitous widow, who worms her way between the two men. The movie coldly suggests that women are good for some things (Mortensen finds himself a compliant, understanding hooker), but they should never really be trusted.
