Netflix Pick – Jane Got A Gun
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This week your Netflix Pick gathers the best parts of the cast of Star Wars Episode 2 and throws them into a traditional Western revenge story. Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and Ewan McGregor star in Jane Got A Gun. The 2016 made film boasts a cast many of the big blockbusters of this year could only dream of yet Jane was only available in limited release. Luckily we live in a day and age where A-List movie stars are okay with fun projects that are better appreciated on the small screen.
The 1871 set western follows Jane (Natalie Portman) as she tries to save her husband, Bill (Noah Emmerich), with help from her ex-lover Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton). Her child’s life hangs in the balance as a gang known as the Bishop Boys narrows in on their remote farm house. The Bishop Boys are led by John Bishop (Ewan McGregor) who has a past with both Bill and Jane.
Director Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, Pride and Glory, Miracle) and a team of writers put together this modern made western that feels very much the style of the glory days of the wild west on the silver screen. The pacing is deliberate, some could say slow, but the western genre has always been a slow burn that leads up to in your face action with large caliber guns and over stuffed squibs. Jane keeps the run time to a tight 97 minutes. The main plot unfolds from the second the first shot of the desert fades into view. The rich backstories are told through flashbacks peppered in at exactly the right moments.
It practically goes without say, but this movie works because of the strength of the actors. Natalie Portman is absolutely a leading woman. Despite the title, her titular Jane doesn’t become a gun toting badass, but a mother and determined human being. She is capable in her own way and makes a stand on principle and out of a sense of honor and duty. It’s important for the story to be grounded in reality that Jane isn’t a crack shot or a walking one (wo)man army. She’s a person, well rounded with flaws, hopes, and dreams, but she feels very human.
Joel Edgerton has to be one of the most talented, underappreciated, and subtle actors working today. Despite the size of the role Edgerton always goes for it. When Edgerton’s Dan Frost is first introduced he is an unlikable drunk who speaks against the narrative of the story. As his back story unfolds and his character is shown in a new light he is easily the most captivating character in the film.
John Bishop
Ewan McGregor plays a villain. Which is fantastic to see. Known for films like Star Wars, Big Fish, I Love You Phillip Morris, and Trainspotting being an outright villain is a nice change of pace for him. Sadly McGregor’s Bishop was a little too color-by-number to be really captivating. The way his scenes were shot were excellent. His introduction is truly villainous. His backstory shows a man with goals but even those are painted in strict black and white. The villain is a little less than captivating but that is a weakness in the script, not the actor.
The script being slightly flimsy is where Jane Got A Gun loses a bit of its momentum. It’s hard to pinpoint exact moments where the film doesn’t work and to say it doesn’t work as a whole is just untrue. There were a few pacing issues, at 97 minutes long if the audience is checking the time or thinking about what to watch or do next there is a problem. The backstory being filled in is obviously essential to character development, and in turn, growth. Some of the flashbacks stuck around a little too long. The dialogue of the film never rang completely true either. Without being an expert historian saying exactly how people on the desert plains of the 1871 American West isn’t possible. However, the characters in Jane all sounded remarkably the same and they all sounded remarkably 21st century. This may be a detail the audience is wrong on more than the writer’s but based on the most infamous westerns in American cinema it missed the mark. The biggest gripe with the script may be a budgetary issue. The whole movie is a slow burn to a climactic shootout at Jane’s ranch. Without spoiling too much the shootout really leaves something to be desired.
Despite a few bumps in the road Jane Got A Gun is a high quality western that calls back to the old day of the westerns. The cast can’t be ignored and the talent in the technical aspects of filmmaking is clearly displayed through every shot. The good far outweighs the bad making Jane Got A Gun the clear choice for this week’s Netflix Pick.
