Never Grow Old

Good movie!

Good movie!

I had no expectations for this movie which is probably the best way to watch one, but I have to say I was seriously impressed by it. It's a little dark throughout but the story being told kind of warranted that. Great to see Cusack back he was excellent as were the entire cast. They all played their parts well. If you like your westerns with a more sinister plot and a very plausible story line for the time I'd highly recommend this movie.

Nothing about this is particularly good AND it has John "man crush" Cusack. But no. It is slow and boring. The characters are trite and forgettable. Do not bother.

The film takes place in 1849 in the town of Garlow on the California Trail. The town preacher (Danny Webb) has banned alcohol, gambling, and prostitution causing it to lose a lot of business. The film centers on Patrick Tate (Emile Hirsch) the town undertaker and his family. Dutch Albert (John Cusack) and two of his friends come to town. They are bounty hunters looking for Bill Crabtree who has left town some time ago. Dutch opts to stay in town, buy and reopen the bar. Issues erupt. This is a gritty western. I thought things were done well, but the plot didn't entertain me. Perhaps a little too much grit. Guide: F-word. No nudity. Implied sex.

Did you watch Sergio Leone's Italian westerns and complain about their authenticity? If the answer is yes, you should avoid this film. If you are able to let go of your preconceptions about the American West, then you might enjoy this one as much as I did. Sure, it's an odd bird. What's wrong with that?

This dark Western, although set deep in the heart of the Old West, was actually filmed in Connemara by the Irish director Ivan Kavanagh and the rain-soaked Irish terrain is perfectly suited to "Never Grow Old"'s theme of violence and revenge. Emile Hirsch, whose Irish accent keeps slipping, is badly cast as the weak-willed undertaker whose business picks up after creepy John Cusack arrives in the town of Garlow with his gang and begins terrorising the community. It strives for the same kind of grim realism that distinguished the revisionist Westerns of the seventies but falls far short and at times it looks and feels more like a horror film and there are so many night shots it is often impossible to tell what's actually happening. Kavanagh may know his movies but this is just a pale imitation of Altman's masterpiece "McCabe and Mrs Miller". He could also do with upping the pace. Ultimately, it's watchable but also very unpleasant.

Up-front, yes, I am an old skool John Cusak fan from the 80's.... He has done tremendous work in the Industry. That being said.... If you want to watch a movie that will both terrify and inspire at the same time, this is one of them. I advised a friend that if he only watches one movie this year, let it be this one. I won't spoil anything.... just watch this movie... you WILL NOT be dissapointed!!!

NEVER GROW OLD is another example of a grim and gloomy western that mostly takes place in the dark at night. The story it tells is familiar and also drawn out, going through the motions without ever offering anything new or particularly fresh. It feels like a B-movie, with down-on-their-luck stars like John Cusack and Emile Hirsch going through the motions with their predictable characters, repetition setting in, and finally things picking up briefly for an inevitable outcome. Others have raved over this, but I found it completely ordinary and not worthy of note.

Cusak and Hirsch shine in this morality tale about an Undertaker (Hirsch) who in a moment of weakness befriends the evil which keeps his pockets filled. Look out for the Reverend who has clearly studied the acting of Gary Oldman!