LJ'S QUICK MOVIE REVIEW:

"Outlaws and Angels", directed by JT Mollner, is a Western that takes place in the unforgiving American frontier. It follows the story of three wanted bank robbers that take refuge in a troubled family's home.

The movie's script features violence, crime, love, and revenge. As the movie progresses, the seemingly ordinary characters reveal darker and freakish sides to their lives. Emphasis is put on cynicism, human fears, and role of women in Western society. However, several characters never get the screen time they deserve. Their transformations often feel rushed and awkward.

Visually, the movie captures the essence of a Western. The colors and tone used in the film make for a very immersive experience. The movie is also shot using 35mm film, which adds to the gritty and grainy feel. Clearly, a great deal of effort was put into the detailed set-pieces, costumes, and makeup.

Overall, "Outlaws and Angels" is a movie with intriguing characters and high-quality visuals, but the flaws in its script and editing slightly compromise the experience.

LJ's Grade: C , 6.4/10

To be honest, Django Unchained and the Hateful Eight are better Westerns and were both released recently.

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In the New Mexico Territory, a gang of bank robbers holds up at the parsonage of a minister & his family as a posse tries to catch up with them. Even if the thugs make it to Mexico, who will survive?

"Outlaws and Angels" (2016) is cut from the same cloth as Tarantino Westerns "Django Unchained" (2012) and "The Hateful Eight" (2015), but with even less of a budget than "Bone Tomahawk" (2015), amazingly only costing $1,150,000. I say "amazingly" because the production values are quite good. In other words, the writer/director knew what he was doing.

The people look and talk like folks living in the challenging desert wilderness of the Old West, which harkens back to the ugly depiction of the Old West in "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid" (1972) and "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" (1973). Meanwhile the plot is as old as Westerns like "Rawhide" (1951).

This is an interesting morality tale that covers everything from greed, lust, drunkard-ness, cowardly condoning, envy, hate and murder. It's not "anti-Christian," as some devout people have claimed in knee-jerk fashion. Rather, it's anti-hypocrisy. When parents don't live according to their own Judeo-Christian values they become fakes, which naturally causes rebellion in the kids.

The beautiful Francesca Eastwood is a highlight with Madisen Beaty and Teri Polo being effective. Chad Michael Murray, Luke Wilson and the other three male actors in the main cast are well cast and convincing.

Unfortunately, it's all brought down by unnecessary scenes that pad the runtime, not to mention wallow in gross depravity for no ostensibly reason. For instance, the puke-inducing jack-someone-off sequence and the perverted nod to "Deliverance" (1972). I thought this was a Western, not a sick porn flick?

"Less is more" is a proverb for good reason.

The film runs 2 hours and was shot in Santa Fe and Albuquerque in north-central New Mexico.

GRADE: C-/D+

After a bank robbery which involved a few killings, Josiah (Luke Wilson) a bounty hunter is called in. The gang pulls up at a farmhouse with two daughters which has its own hidden demons.

The film includes dark humor, plenty of killing with blood splatter, and an inkling of "A Dirty Western." I hated to see Aunt Ester (Frances Fisher) die, (sorry for that plot spoiler, but then again you can count the survivors on one hand). At two hours the film dragged on as it spent too much time at the farmhouse, which they could have consolidated.

This is not your typical western, written, directed, and produced by JT Mollner who managed a good job at consolidating all that in one credit. Many facial close-ups of Francesca Eastwood. Film is a bit raw.

Guide: F-word. Sex, rape. Male rear nudity.