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American Gun More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 34 reviews in total |
17 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Coburn is wonderful, 13 August 2002
Author:
zampino from Los Angeles
`American Gun' offers several levels of reward to its audiences. First, is a Oscar caliber, powerfully moving performance from one of America's finest actors, James Coburn. It is rare in our system that an actor, even of James's stature, at his age is offered the opportunity to strut his stuff; and strut he does. With pain, wisdom, and gentleness expressed both in his face and in his gnarled hands, his performance is great. I guarantee no one will walk out of this film unchanged and unmoved by this alone. `American Gun' is a film about America and its scope is huge. On one level it deals with a subjects that are all but taboo in the mainstream media, i.e. American's contradictory infatuation with guns and violence and the all too real repercussions they have with our individual and collective lives. On another level it examines the ethical context of violence in religion, in warfare, in the streets, in the cause of justice as well as in the pursuit of evil. It sounds deep, but you will be entertained by this film, but you will also walk of the theater thinking about some fundamental issues. That's not bad is it?
18 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
Coburn's last hurrah gets two cheers, 6 May 2003
Author:
FilmFlaneur from London
American Gun is a suitably elegiac and death-obsessed film that closed the
career of James Coburn. It's a sometimes worthy, but never less than
interesting story, starting as one thing and ending as another. It begins as
one man's search for truth, and finishes as the truth about a man. Along the
way, director Alan Jacobs (whose previous credits have been romantic dramas
and comedies) fashions an interesting narrative, using flashbacks and
reconstruction in ways that are dramatically intriguing and never
distracting.
Coburn plays Martin Tillman, whose daughter Penny (Virginia Masden) is
killed in a shooting. Martin, an infantry veteran of the Second World War,
experiences vivid memories of combat and his youth - notably his meeting and
early romance with his wife Anne (Barbara Bain, a face familiar from re-runs
of TV's original Mission: Impossible) as well as the traumatic killing of a
young sniper who shot his friend. At the same time Martin seeks to re
establish contact with Penny's estranged daughter (Alexandra Holden) who,
after blaming her mother for her father's desertion, has disappeared.
Martin's grief over loss, and one-man odyssey to find the owner of the gun
that killed his daughter is what lies at the centre of the film. Elderly,
and with his knuckles visibly distorted by arthritis, Coburn still has an
undeniable screen presence, raising the film out of the ordinary, and gives
a quiet authority which adds necessary gravitas to his search. Despite being
predicated around a violent act, American Gun is a relatively subdued film,
making points about weapon ownership, responsibility and guilt in persistent
ways that, understandably, caused some irritation amongst gun-owning
filmgoers at home. It also had the bad luck to be made as a change of
administration, and then the events of September 11th, marked a sea change
in American attitudes to arms. It is doubtful that a film, which plays so
much on the social question of weaponry, would be made today.
Besides some wintry settings, there is an excellent score, the work of the
underrated Anthony Marinelli, which enhances much of the film's tone.
Marinelli's spare note clusters, floating in dead air as it were, emphasise
the silence and loss in lives touched by the gun. They suggest how much
grief isolates the central character from all but the most essential
relationships, where he can only really communicate by writing letters to a
dead woman. The epistolary nature of many of Martin's scenes, as well as the
distancing effect of his flashbacks, remove him further from daily life and
place him further in his self-absorbed quest. ("He's on a crusade," despairs
his wife at one point.) Martin's dedication to his search is also
counter-pointed by a crisis in faith: "I still believe in God," he says
during a glum meeting with a young pastor, "but I don't know what to make of
him." Given the nature of Martin's grief, the churchman understandably finds
it hard to offer more than passing support.
American Gun is apt title. It refers both to a weapon, as well as the name
of the company manufacturing the offending item (Its factory of the same
name is the first place Martin visits). Like something aimed and fired
itself, Martin's single-minded journey transcribes its own trajectory, until
it reaches its mark. Along the way we discover the gun's history: as an
instrument of death in the hand of an abduction victim, a means of revenge
for a jealous youth, and so on. The gun has taken more than one life and,
the film suggests, is typical of such items passing through so many hands.
Whether or not one takes this simplification at face value is down to the
position held on gun control. Meanwhile the film benefits from an avoidance
of hectoring, and a script that demonstrates the casual dissemination of
small arms, as well as the numbing effects of their misuse.
Jacob's film recalls the similar premise explored in John Badham's The Gun
(1974), an above average TV movie in which another firearm was followed from
cradle to grave, although here the irony is of another sort. In Badham's
film the piece is only fired once (at the end) for instance, while Jacob's
weapon is used several times. American Gun also has a more complicated
structure, the filmmakers using a combination of narrative and filmic
methods to show the effects of gun violence on individuals. It is also has a
clever twist in the tale, one which accords the hero greater tragic status
as well as forcing us to reinterpret events. This ending, while the film
still tends towards the episodic, reaffirms Martin's central role and allows
the peculiarly penitential nature of his quest to be explained.
There's nothing about the film that wouldn't sit just as comfortably on the
little screen as on the big, but it rarely drags and sustains interest.
Those who seek the dynamism of most films explicitly associated with
weaponry will be advised to look for thrills elsewhere. Those who'd enjoy a
quiet, well made look at a perceived American blight, as well as those
wanting a last glimpse of a memorable Hollywood star still at work, should
check this out.
11 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Memories, 3 April 2005
Author:
jotix100 from New York
"American Gun" directed by Alan Jacobs was a surprise. Not having heard
about it before, intrigued me. Mr. Jacobs, directing from his own
material, has created a movie that on on level is telling us we are
going on one direction, but in reality, he is playing with us since the
trip he is taking us is not what we had in mind.
If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you would like to stop reading.
Martin Tillman, the man at the center of the story, is a man that still
remember his days during WWII; how can one ever forget those horrors
lived in that, or any other, conflict? In flashbacks we get to know how
young Martin and the lovely Anne, meet, fall in love and marry
eventually. Their union seems to be a happy one. They have a daughter,
Penny, a single mother, who returns home for the holidays after her own
daughter, Mia, leaves her home.
Not all is happy among the Tillman family. Martin, who is in his
seventies, appears to be a man not at peace with himself or the world.
When Penny is mugged during a trip to the store to return Martin's
Christmas gift for Anne. Penny meets an unexpected death, or does she?
Mr. Jacobs is too devious to tell us the truth, thus contributing to
the mystery surrounding Martin's resolve in finding the man who killed
Penny.
Thus begins a series of trips into different areas of the country. All
these trips end in failure. Martin keeps compiling data and we feel as
though he is close to get his revenge. At this moment in the story, Mr.
Jacobs intervene to show us in flashbacks the missing links of the
gruesome murder. We realize then that Martin has not been interested in
resolving the crime at all.
James Coburn made his last appearance on this film. He appears as
though he is in great physical pain. As he proved in "Affliction", he
was an actor to be reckoned with, although sometimes, his choice of
projects was not exactly the best. Yet, he surprises us playing Martin
Tillman. He obviously understood this troubled man and the price he is
paying for his sins.
Virginia Madsen is seen briefly at the beginning of the story and in
flashbacks. Ms. Madsen makes the best of the ill fated Penny. Barbara
Bain plays the suffering wife, Anne. One wonders whatever went wrong in
Anne's early love for Martin and the bitter person she turns out to be
in her later years. The murder of Penny clearly contributes to alienate
her from her husband. Ms. Bain short time on the screen makes an
excellent contribution to the film.
Mr. Jacobs underlying message is about the American fascination with
guns, but he is not judgmental on the issue, as some comments in this
page seem to criticize him for doing. This is a serious movie dealing
with an controversial subject.
12 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Great ending (in every sense of the word), 25 July 2004
Author:
lee nicholson (dolemite72) from middlesbrough, UK
JAMES COBURN bowed out like true star in AMERICAN GUN, a strange, yet
rewarding cross between ON GOLDEN POND and THE LIMEY (with shades of THE
CROSSING GUARD). And for once (oh well, maybe twice) COBURN does not come
accross all smooth, cool and calm. He is very human, and is capable of
making mistakes (one rather big one, it turns out!) and the director only
gives you as many clues as he wants, so that when the events playback in
sequence (and only in that order) does the viewer, fully understand the
whole story. The final shot of COBURN, all bitter and twisted, yet slightly
redeemed, is rather haunting
COBURN asside, every performance in this movie is spot-on. The ever gorgeous
VIRGINIA MADSEN especially effective, in the few scenes she's
in.
Once again, i cannot praise this fine movie, but it must be watched till the
end (and in one sitting) to be truly appreciated.
Oh well, JAMES COBURN, your 'star' will continue to shine on in heaven. But
back here on earth, you shone also. You left the world, a better place than
when you first found it.
10 out of 10
9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Well Worth Seeing, 31 August 2003
Author:
purpleaddict from Bay Area, California
I saw this film at the Sonoma Film Festival earlier this year and was
pleasantly surprised. It was not what I was expecting.
James Coburn gave a tremendous performance and all the other actors were
very good as well.
I was able to buy into what the film was selling, but I was not expecting
the twist at the end. About ten minutes before the twist was revealed, I
starting thinking this was the direction they were headed. I just sat
there
thinking "No, that can't be where they are taking this." It was difficult
to see the ending and I felt disturbed by the movie for a while
afterwards.
I recommended it to friends and think it is well worth
seeing.
6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
It's not about finding fault, it's about finding reason, 5 June 2003
Author:
sbrittan1 from Los Angeles, California
At first I thought this film was going to be about finding a killer and blaming guns and the lack of laws we have in the United States controlling them. I was wrong. This is a story of relationships, and what it takes to keep them. The writing is sensitive, not safe by any means and gets to the heart of every human. I was touched by the candid view points of the characters and how the camera and direction noticed them. This is a strong story, not too simple and very complex but very real and grass rooted. The bottom line is...I can see this happening to anyone...anywhere and I was thrilled that it made me feel this way. I thought all the performances were believable and brilliantly acted. Even though Mr. Coburn isn't on this earth to receive one, he should be nominated for an Oscar.
9 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
A very good movie with a message and a surprising twist, 7 April 2005
Author:
(Gary@JenningsMusic.net) from Hesperia, California
I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago. I have been a James Coburn fan since I was a kid so seeing his name in the starring role made me want to check it out although I had never heard of this movie before. Apparently, it was his last movie and I was really pleased to see him finish his career with such a good role. This movie has a great message without being preachy and the twist in the story caught me completely by surprise and I love that sort of thing. I was pleasantly surprised to see Barbara Bain (another favorite of mine) playing his wife. It took me a minute to recognize her. I just wanted to add my comments on this movie because of the other review I saw here that dismissed it as something not very good. I would hate to see someone pass up a chance to see James Coburn's last movie because of some misguided comments by someone who thinks they are a critic. This is an interesting and informative movie and is well worth viewing especially if you are or were a Coburn fan.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
James Coburn at his finest!, 17 September 2002
Author:
shaggy97401 from Los Angeles
This is a wonderful film starring James Coburn in a heart wrenching tale of
a fathers plight for discovery, truth, and bring closure to his daughter's
murder. He embarks on a cross country quest to find her killer, discover
himself and find his beloved granddaughter.
This film is masterfully done and highly recommended.
5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Expecting little....I was enthralled, 2 April 2005
Author:
jjacobs49 from NY
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Channel-flipping, I stopped at "American Gun". Ready to change to
another movie, I decided to give it 5-minutes. 15-minutes. All 95-
minutes.
*** spoiler*** An elderly grandfather, haunted by a traumatic
split-second decision made during WW2, goes on to be haunted by another
traumatic split-second decision made in the present.
To me, movies don't have to be perfect. If they hold my attention, if
they make me feel something, if they make me muse about what has been
presented, I am happy.
See it.
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
I was blown away by this (forgive the pun), 25 October 2002
Author:
nhpbob from Kew Gardens, NY
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I saw this film at the recent Hamptons International Film Festival, in a
packed house on the extra day of screenings, when several films are shown
for free as a thank-you to the community the day after the film festival
officially ends. Everyone was riveted by the story, and I noticed the same
thing from the paying customers earlier in the week. Many people walk out
of the film somewhat shocked and quite moved.
This film is masterfully done, despite what another reviewer says here.
A strong performance from James Coburn, and equally good performances from
Virginia Madsen (one of the most underrated actresses around since the 80s),
Barbara Bain, Alexandra Holden, and Ryan Locke playing a younger version of
Coburn. The parallel stories of his youth, and his current tragic life,
are done well. Images of the past sit side by side with the present
day.
As befits its title, this film spans America as James Coburn looks for the
history of people who used the gun that recently killed his daughter. Like
all good "road" movies, the journey here ends satisfyingly. The story has
a damn good surprise for the audience in the last 15 minutes, and like other
films that do that, it makes you mentally go back to what one saw as the
film unfolded. In other words, I certainly want to see this a second time,
and see it from the new perspective that sitting through it once brings you.
I'd talk more about what impressed me about the story, but that would be one
big spoiler. Suffice to say that this film is best viewed fresh. If
someone were smart, it would get a theatrical release. That way Coburn
gets a well deserved Best Actor nomination?....
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