Clint Eastwood directs himself, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman in this revisionist Western where a reformed gunfighter takes up a bounty from some wronged whores.

How can this be Clint’s last western? I mean it is a perfect swansong from the genre that he defined for thirty years but still… Every lead performance is wonderful. Clint understands intimately how to wring star power from big names, and memorable performances from jobbing actors. David Webb People’s script is a masterclass. The lullaby theme by Clint and Lennie Niehaus is magical. Jack N Green’s cinematography glowing and shadowy in equal measure. The shocks from Quick Mike’s small dick to “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.” jerk you out of the deceptive elegiac pace. This is a definitive epilogue to my favourite genre and new day rising in the career of one the very best directors. This is where we all realised Clint was a master of the art of cinema rather than a star who also dabbled behind the camera often.

9

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