"Killing´s just a by-product"

Watching Ed Harris strut down a dusty Western street in his natty suit and black cowboy hat inevitably brings up memories of his starring turn in Alex Cox´s acidic Western satire "Walker" in which Harris plays a psychopathic soldier masquerading as an American patriot. Virgil Cole isn´t nearly as deranged as William Walker, but he´s an authoritarian with a violent streak that stems from deep-seated neuroses.

Chief among these is his inability to deal with women. This is rarely an issue in his macho-man universe where all he needs is his gun and his deputy. Things change, however, when the very classy and very available Mrs. Alison "Allie" French (Renée Zelwegger) steps off the train one day. Virgil impresses her by proving that he´s the head stallion in the herd, and can provide her with shelter and work with the snap of a finger. But his gracelessness leads him to ask her bluntly "Are you a whore?" because he can´t imagine what else a single woman in the West might be doing.

Allie´s abrupt introduction drastically alters the course of the story. A buddy film morphs into a love triangle that is heated on all sides. In one of the script´s sharpest moments, Everett fends off an inappropriately amorous Allie by observing that "You´re with Virgil… and so am I."

The relationship between Virgil and Everett is the real crux of the narrative. You don´t need to read a homosexual subtext into their relationship to understand that both men desperately long for each other´s approval. Everett is educated and erudite, and Virgil constantly reads in an effort to match his deputy´s vocabulary, often falling just short of finding the right word for the occasion. Meanwhile, Everett works hard to be as skilled a gunslinger as Virgil but he fails because he´s got feelings and "feelings get you killed." Everett works hard to be as flinty as his mentor, with mixed results that lead to an unexpected ending.

There would be no narrative tension if Virgil and Everett´s relationship didn´t get tested, but it´s unfortunate that Renée Zelwegger is called on to do the dirty work. Zelwegger is as woefully miscast here as she was in the period piece "Cold Mountain." Her Allie is a mousy, irritating creature who tries the patience of not only both leading men but also the audience. Quite frankly, it´s hard to see what either Virgil or Everett would want with her, especially since they´ve got each other.

"Appaloosa" doesn´t re-invent the Western, and thank goodness for that. Neither Virgil Cole nor Everett Hitch will take their place in the Western pantheon of great characters, but both are quite pleasant companions for a few hours. The film´s occasionally corny humor is endearing, and the action scenes are efficiently staged without a hint of ostentation; no slow-mo Peckinpah style ballets here. In short, Harris has crafted a rock solid Western with no desperate need to turn it into something "important." And unlike some recent genre efforts, the film gracefully ends well before it has worn out its welcom