The Lonely Man

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Audience Member Going with the obscure. So this is about an aging gunslinger (Jack Palance). He is really just trying to settle down in the twilight of his life and wants to reconnect with his son (Anthony Perkins), but will the son be able to forgive him for leaving the family high and dry so many years back? Now I have a bit of a personal tradition in that I try to watch a Western when my birthday rolls around every year. Sometimes it'll be a personal favorite that I'm revisiting, and other times it will be something that I've never seen. I decided to roll the dice with the most intriguing thing I could find available on streaming that I had never heard of. I think that The Lonely Man is decent, although I'm doubtful if current audiences will be able to connect with it. Now I really don't have a ton of experience with the real old-timey Westerns if I am being completely honest. I am much more versed in the Leone and Corbucci style, as it is much more my speed. With The Lonely Man, I really feel like there is an acclimation period to get on the same page with the acting. Some may call it bad acting, but it's really not. It was the style back then, and everything is much bigger, almost like it was made for a staged production where even the people in the back row need to grasp what is going on. Once I did adjust, I was in. These characters do grow on you as the story progresses, and you do understand where everybody is coming from. I wish I was more familiar with the library of Jack Palance, because I don't have a ton to compare this to other than The Mercenary, but I can say that he does have some serious screen presence. I was expecting this to be more about the black hats and white hats, but he plays a surprisingly gray character in a role that could have easily gone to Clint Eastwood. He clearly has a dark past, but he's trying to do the right thing in the circumstances that he is in. I also liked Anthony Perkins more than not as the son, although I will say that it was kind of hard to not just see Norman Bates for obvious reasons. This is a movie that is slow and steady, and I can't say that I ever connected with this to the point that I would recommend it to anybody other than the most hardcore Western fans. I have no regrets with choosing this as my birthday Western, although I do have critiques to offer: there is some pretty choppy editing at points, almost like some of the footage was lost, and I did desire a little more subtlety when the acting got too big. Watch this if you like, but you really don't need to go out of your way to see The Lonely Man, appropriately enough. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member good western actioner Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member If he wants to hate me, let him. Jacob Wade is a trouble, lonely, wandering gunslinger with money enough to settle down and retire but enough skeletons in his closet to fill a cemetery. He returns to his hometown to find his son, an angry man who hates him. He tries to settle down with his son but his son and his old enemies won't make it easy. "Can I buy you a drink?" "Anyone can buy me a drink." Henry Levin, director of Journey to the Center of the Earth, Where the Boys Are, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, and Jolson Sings Again, delivers The Lonely Man. The storyline for this picture is interesting and contains some worthwhile characters. I loved Anthony Perkins in this film but felt Jack Palace was a bit rigid. The rest of the cast delivered above average performances. "You mention my mother in this house again and I'll kill you." This was recommended to me via Verizon Fios so I DVR'd it off the Movies! Channel. I found this fun to watch unfold and it is a nice addition to the genre. I wouldn't call this anything special or a must see but it is worth following if you're a fan of the genre. "I look like her, don't I?" Grade: C+ Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Headstrong Anthony Perkins, not really that suited to the western genre overacts throughout, while Jack Palance's ageing gunman has become so gentile he comes across as underacting. It's a decent enough western but average. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Myths of manhood and the frightening visage of Jack Palance--Breaking Horses, Hearts and Boys!! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Jack Palance's sheer presence reminded me a lot of Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Maybe it's just the stash. This western should be sought out by fans of the genre just based on the ubiquity of the cast. Anthony Perkins is sulky but the son/father relationship he has w/ Palance is the glue & foundation of this movie. Lee Van Cleef has a small role but I am always thrilled when he's involved. He could have been cast a little heavier but just his inclusion makes me happy. Elaine Aiken has a nice thick ass that I would like her to ride me like a pony. A neglected film that really should be checked out especially since truly good American westerns are far out weighed by their Italian counterpart Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Lonely Man

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