A Night in Old Mexico (2014)

Let me start off by saying I love Robert Duvall, but this is not one of his better efforts (no fault of his, lousy writing and lousy co-stars). It's his typical "tough old guy" routine on steroids.The movie starts slow and gets slower. From there it becomes boring and increasingly predictable.I found myself fast forwarding to get to a point where there was something going on.....and then suddenly I was at the end, thank God.Skip this one, and keep your love and appreciation of Mr Duvall intact!

Robert Duvall never disappoints, even when he appears in a modestly budgeted (only $2 million) independent effort. You have to give the man credit, he was eighty two when he made this picture when most of the other old hosses would have been put out to pasture. It was 2003's "Open Range" that convinced me that Duvall is my favorite modern day actor, an idea reinforced whenever I see him in a picture I haven't viewed before.Take this one for example. He's got the churlish, old man gimmick down pretty well with the facial grimace and repetitive 'Yeahs' to follow up his poignant observations about life and it's consequences. Where the story line takes an unexpected turn occurs when hit man Cholo (Joaquin Cosio) takes out the two grifters who hitch a ride with Red Bovie (Duvall) and his grandson Gally (Jeremy Irvine). All the while one expects the pair of outlaws to hijack Bovie and steal his car, leaving the rest of the story for Red to pursue the men and make good. So that was a twist I didn't see coming.The other one was Red hooking up with the senorita Patty Wafers (Angie Cepeda), an arrangement that doesn't look like it would work but between them, they make sure that the old adage of opposites attracting still works. I'm on the fence with the character of Gally, actor Irvine looked miscast for the part to my thinking. If not for the connection between his own father and the estranged relationship with Red, I don't think it would have worked, but there was something in there that clicked for the elder Bovie, especially after learning that James got his ticket punched on a commuter train back home.It was cool to see Abraham Benrubi in the story as Big Roscoe Hamill, arranging a four hundred dollar getaway from Mexico when drug kingpin Panama (Luis Tosar) zeroed in on the drug money left behind in Red's car. Benrubi appeared as one of Duvall's ranch hands who was murdered on the trail in "Open Range", and just like he did here, it's Duvall's character who sets out to make things right when he's crossed.

Once again, Robert Duvall delivers like few others can. The cast, story line and everything about the movie was grand. His co stars, while I was unfamiliar with them prior to this, were so outstanding. Movie drew me in right from the start and held me fully. Only disappointment I had with the movie was that it had to end. No matter what role Mr. Duvall plays, he is so very convincing and makes you feel like he is someone you know personally. very different from the lawyer in the Godfather. The scenery was outstanding as well with such a great soundtrack. Its sad that ranchers and farmers alike face the devastation of losing the homes and land that they have worked so hard on due to the way things are these days. Instant classic.

I liked the ending.The ONLY criticism I would make was not showing more 'cattle' and a Cow-dog - if not a horse or ATV.A friend of mine who's a small cattle rancher up here in Martinez CA, is 75 yrs, and is going through chemotherapy for prostate, (altho' I think it's the type of tuberculosis you evidently can get from cattle which is treated by chemo!) he had to hand over the cattle operation to his ranch hand ( a Mexican who's waiting for his wife from Mexico so he can stay in the cottage on the property ) - while he recoups (hopefully) at his brother's; I recommended it to him, I think he would feel encouraged. … He's very hard working, fixes everything himself; He was a former fisherman in Alaska - and a carpenter after that. Besides being as gruff as the character Duvall played , he's the best person you ever met - kindly but strong - and smart as a whip still. Ididn't like the 'gun' scene - that's why I had to debate about recommending it to him, but I did recommend it to him. (I'm the girl friend he ends up with! - so that was "true to life" - Writers, how did you know!?!