Everything That Dies, Some Day Comes Back

As I was watching this supposed classic Western I reflected, not for the first time, upon the patience of film audiences back in the day given that there is no action of any consequence until the last reel.  Before then we get to sit through a lot of suspense - can downtrodden rancher Dan successfully get outlaw Ben on the titular train despite Ben's gang trying to stop him? It's based on a short story (by Elmore Leonard) and it does feel a mite flimsy as a feature film albeit with a running time of barely 90 minutes, which does include some padding in the early stages. Van Heflin is well cast as Dan, ably supported by a strong supporting cast, and the whole thing  is well directed by Delmer Daves, with above-average cinematography and score.  But Glenn Ford as Ben is too likeable in the role (where's Lee Marvin when you need him?), t he climactic action isn't quite good enough to justify the lengthy build-up, and we don't get to learn much of the back stories of ei...

Like most people I really enjoyed this film when it came out.  It was a smart idea, combining the world of mobsters with that of Hollywood.  And, as you would expect from a film based on an Elmore Leonard novel, the dialogue was sharp, and the plot intricately constructed. But for some reason, on a rewatch I couldn't get into it.  I could still admire its qualities but I felt disengaged. Maybe the problem is that what seemed fresh then feels far less so now.   Or that John Travolta is the main character, and I'm not a member of the John Travolta Fan Club. Or that one of my favourite actors Gene Hackman is miscast here as a dim two-bit Hollywood producer. Or that Danny DeVito is also miscast. Or that all the business about the money at the airport bored me. I would have liked a little less mobster action and a bit more satire of the film business. On the plus side any film with Rene Russo is worth watching.  And we get to see the great James Gandolfini in an...