Sweet Vengeance (2013)
In the western town of Sweetwater, a fanatical preacher, a rogue sheriff and a classy former prostitute collide in a blood soaked tale of murder and revenge.
I really enjoyed
Sweet Vengeance the first time round and this second viewing was no less rewarding.
For the first twenty minutes i felt the film was trying to be too provocative and clever for its own good, however with the proper introduction of Ed Harris's dingbat sheriff the storyline settled down and evolved into a rather tasty out for revenge western. Stylistically more on the lines of the spaghetti movement or later Hollywood pieces such as
The Missing and
Seraphim Falls rather than the classic American western of old. In fact having said that its a film which uses colour really well, especially January Jones's beautiful purple dress, startling against the yellows and browns of the classic western environments. She also played it beautifully. This kindly family woman just wanting to make a home with her husband and dog out on the range, suddenly with it all taken away from her she becomes an angel of vengeance.
The film has an excellent cast, the already mentioned Ed Harris, Jason Isaacs as the crazed preacher and
Madmen's Jones as the landowner whose murdered husband is at the centre of the plot. I've seen Jones in a couple of films recently and this is the first one where she's actually been given something meaty to do, her killing spree in the final twenty minutes is as brutal and well performed as any i've seen, Calamity Jane she ain't. Isaacs as the prophet Jason is downright disturbing at times, his nefarious actions eventually bringing him the unwanted attention of both Jones and Harris. Isaacs scenes with Harris although non-violent are brilliantly confrontational and compulsive viewing.
Sweet Vengeance has some fantastic stand out scenes - Harris crucified upside down for one and Jones, standing naked in the river, turns round, 45 in hand, casually killing her pursuers with ruthless efficiency, for another.
Intelligent, hard hitting and brutal,
Sweet Vengeance is highly recommended and the best modern western i've seen in ages.