The Kid has Vincent D'Onofrio in his directional debut, I don't agree with its rating on IMDb, this is a very good film, a great western. The screenplay was written by Andrew Lanham and although I really liked the film I think his script is my least favorite part, it's quite all over the place but works. It's completely fictional with only the characters of Pat Garrett and Billy "The Kid" Bonney being historical, what can be interesting with stories like these is how you use the characters, they're used quite well in my opinion. With scenes like the dinner scene and the Mexican ranch before it, these scenes along with that great gunfight is a great way to start a plot. You learn of the characters and their characterization. The film stars Ethan Hawke as Sheriff Pat Garrett, Dane DeHaan as Billy "The Kid" Bonney, Jake Schur as Rio Cutler, Leila George as Sara Cutler, Chris Pratt as Grant Cutler, Adam Baldwin as Bob Olinger, and Vincent D'Onofrio as Sheriff Romero. The film is full of great performances, Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan are absolutely mesmerizing and perfect in their roles but who surprised me the most was Jake Schur who plays the protagonist whilst being overshadowed by the historical figures played by the former two.
The premise; The story of a young boy who witnesses Billy the Kid's encounter with Sheriff Pat Garrett. That's the basic premise, there's also a revenge story in the story, with Rio Cutler killing his alcoholic and abusive father which ultimately starts the events going forward. With Rio's uncle on their tail.
Something worth praising which many films don't get right is the bad teeth which many had in the old west, it's the opposite in this film as they nailed it, Billy the Kid is an example in this film. The guns also pack a punch in The Kid, D'Onofrio shows the destruction it makes and focuses on the surroundings like the animals which become scared of the shooting. The musical score was quite impressive as well, fitting for the period and movie, and during the action sequences the music just hits right which enhances the suspension and tension in the scene. The editing is quite great as well, really great in the action scenes like the jailbreak scene. Although the action sequences are really fantastic, the film is about the characters and the character moments, the dialogue is quite modern at times but the dialogue is quite great. Regarding the cinematography and direction, the film is absolutely stunning to look at, Richard Roeper from Chicago Sun-Times said, "First-time director D'Onofrio has as an admirable visual style, whether we get medium-long-shot takes or intimate close-ups. This is a good-looking period piece film, percolating with top-tier performances."
Joe Leydon of Variety called The Kid "a consistently involving and often exciting drama in which the two Wild West icons are presented from the p.o.v. Of an impressionable adolescent who weighs the pros and cons of each man as a role model." I can only agree with his and Richard Roeper's remarks, it's a great film and even more so a great western yet you don't have to like westerns to enjoy it, it's a compelling character drama in its own right with what I believe to be some really great action sequences with guns which sound and look good.
The premise; The story of a young boy who witnesses Billy the Kid's encounter with Sheriff Pat Garrett. That's the basic premise, there's also a revenge story in the story, with Rio Cutler killing his alcoholic and abusive father which ultimately starts the events going forward. With Rio's uncle on their tail.
Something worth praising which many films don't get right is the bad teeth which many had in the old west, it's the opposite in this film as they nailed it, Billy the Kid is an example in this film. The guns also pack a punch in The Kid, D'Onofrio shows the destruction it makes and focuses on the surroundings like the animals which become scared of the shooting. The musical score was quite impressive as well, fitting for the period and movie, and during the action sequences the music just hits right which enhances the suspension and tension in the scene. The editing is quite great as well, really great in the action scenes like the jailbreak scene. Although the action sequences are really fantastic, the film is about the characters and the character moments, the dialogue is quite modern at times but the dialogue is quite great. Regarding the cinematography and direction, the film is absolutely stunning to look at, Richard Roeper from Chicago Sun-Times said, "First-time director D'Onofrio has as an admirable visual style, whether we get medium-long-shot takes or intimate close-ups. This is a good-looking period piece film, percolating with top-tier performances."
Joe Leydon of Variety called The Kid "a consistently involving and often exciting drama in which the two Wild West icons are presented from the p.o.v. Of an impressionable adolescent who weighs the pros and cons of each man as a role model." I can only agree with his and Richard Roeper's remarks, it's a great film and even more so a great western yet you don't have to like westerns to enjoy it, it's a compelling character drama in its own right with what I believe to be some really great action sequences with guns which sound and look good.