Here’s a hot western now on Blu-ray/DVD that you may have missed at the movie theaters. It’s called Sweetwater and stars Ed Harris, January Jones and Harry Potter’s Jason Isaacs in roles that intrigue and intensify a powerful screenplay by Director Logan Miller. Action filled this compelling movie starts with a bang and ends with twist. You don’t have to be a western lover to get a charge out of this drama that takes revenge to new heights.
Set in the old west where homesteaders eke out a living far from the closest town of married couple Miguel (Eduardo Noriega) and Sarah (January Jones) tend their farm. Sarah has been getting away from her sordid past as a former prostitute and lives happily with husband miles away from the town of Sweetwater. Their nearest neighbor is a powerful religious leader, the prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs), who treats his congregation like slaves and violates the women sexually for his pleasure. He’s ruthless and wants to expand his property to include Miguel’s farm so he him murdered. Commits
When two envoys are sent to Sweetwater by the governor and go missing, he sends gunslinger Cornelius Jackson (Ed Harris) to the town. Writer/director Logan Miller keeps his film moving along at a fast pace adding the body count and unraveling his deceit filled plot with several twists that keep the film absorbing. When he lets Sarah loose for revenge the film becomes a brutal blood bath involving Jackson, Josiah and the ex-sheriff that can stand toe to toe with anything seen on the big screen.
Harris does a fine job of being this merciless lawman who doesn’t hesitate to shoot or stab anyone who thinks they’re above the law. He makes his character very gritty, tough and crafty while investigating the disappearance of the governor’s envoys. Although Harris is a might type cast here, I don’t know anyone who could have played the character any better. In fact his presence in the film gives the plot a boost.
January Jones does a superb job of making her character vulnerable in the cross hairs of Josiah, but when he rapes her we get another side of the actress that’s hell bent on revenge. You may be familiar with Jones from her Television role as Betty Draper in Mad Men or several films including Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class and Candice in American Wedding. Here she’s a cut way above those characters with a performance that shows her wicked side and makes Sweetwater a must see film.
The Blu-ray has a couple of bonus features that are very good with commentary by the stars and Director Logan Miller in “The Making of Sweetwater”. In addition there’s a music selection of “Cold Grey Light of Dawn” by singer Hudson Moore.
The Blu-ray video quality is very good played on an HD television. The landscapes are drab in the dry west giving a dank feel of how it must have been for homesteaders. I am not a big fan of “letterbox” but the black spaces top and bottom are minimal played on my 16×9 HD TV with the benefit of no picture loss from big screen transfer.
The audio quality using the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is excellent. The dialogue is crystal clear played through either the television speakers or my upgraded sound system. In some cases my surround kicked in giving me a side and rear audio range.
Sweetwater has been rated R by the MPAA and contains extreme violence, sex, rape, nudity, brutality and language. Please be very careful not to allow the Blu-ray to get into the hands of immature children.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Ed Harris, January Jones, Jason Isaacs, Amy Madigan and Eduardo Noriega
Director: Logan Miller
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Western, Action, Thriller, Drama
Running Time: 1 hr 35 min
Video Release Date: December 31, 2013
Original Film Release Date: October 11, 2013
Language: English
Format: Blu-ray
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: Widescreen “Letterbox” 2.35:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: ARC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
