Today’s Movie: In a Valley of Violence (2016)

In a Valley of Violence is a Western film Directed by Ti West and stars both Ethan Hawke and John Travolta. Going in I had a few concerns; There aren’t many good Westerns made anymore, Ethan Hawke has always been hit-and-miss for me, and when I think “Old West” I usually don’t think of John Travolta.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. The cinematography, a lot of the music, and even the title cards (which are reminiscent of the ones from ‘A Fistful of Dollars’) all made the film feel like a classic Western. As a Big fan of the genre, these things earned the film a few bonus points in my book.

The plot is simple and straight forward. A drifter named Paul (played by Ethan Hawke) comes to town and he isn’t looking for any trouble. But, after a confrontation with the towns hotheaded Deputy, the Marshall (played by John Travolta) advises him that it’s in everyone’s best interest if he just leaves town. Paul agrees and rides off but the Deputy doesn’t want to let it go, and he later kills Paul’s dog and attempts to kill him too. So, Paul heads back to the town to get his revenge…

Overall, the acting in this film is solid, with Travolta and Hawke turning in particularly good performances. I’ve already written a list of ’10 John Travolta Movies Everyone Should See’ (you can check that out here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/10-john-travolta-movies-everyone-should.html) but if I had to do it again, this one might actually make the cut. The only actor that missed the mark for me is James Ransone who plays the Deputy. He plays a couple of his scenes way over the top and he never really nails down an accent. 

For anyone who’s a fan of Westerns I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

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