For a Kevin Costner movie, Open Range is pretty short with a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. I almost wish it had run longer, but then I remember how numb my butt gets watching Dances with Wolves which has a running time of like 10 or 12 hours. Oh, I exaggerate, but not really. That's a long damn movie and every time it gets released in a new format it gets longer. The man is not kidding around when he says he likes the long-form story.

Because I'm shallow, the first thing I have to comment on is just how gorgeous Costner looks in this movie. He kills me. I think he just gets better looking as he gets older. I've liked him from as far back as No Way Out, but there was always something blandly attractive about his features. Now though he's aging particularly well and it gives his face character. So mostly I just gaped at the screen during the movie. Plus, the cowboy look? Really suits him! Another thing to gape at is the cinematography. It is spectacularly gorgeous, folks.

The story itself is pretty simple, but effectively told with Costner's characteristic attention to small, but telling details. It is leisurely paced and remains so throughout the action scenes and it just feels right. I also take a certain delight in the fact that there's some viciousness thrumming beneath the surface of his character. That always feels right with Costner and I'm really looking forward to seeing his new movie, Mr. Brooks.