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The Grey Fox
A charismatic performance from the late Richard Farnsworth in the title role is the centerpiece of 1982's The Grey Fox, a handsomely mounted biopic about the legendary "gentleman bandit" whose life crosses centuries and impacts just about everyone he encounters.
Bill Miner spent a good portion of the 1800's robbing stagecoaches before being arrested and spending 33 years in prison. Upon his release in 1901, he finds a lot of changes have come along with the dawn of a new century. After briefly contemplating a new life, Miner decides to travel to Canada and begin a new career robbing trains instead.
Director Philip Borsos has mounted this simple but richly entertaining story on a gorgeous canvas, highlighting a real life criminal who is unlike any cinematic criminal we've seen. The story initially presents Miner as a man who, upon his release from prison, wants to begin a new life, but that turns out not to be the case at all. What makes this guy different is that he has a heart, brains, compassion, and empathy. He doesn't want to hurt anybody and is not interested in being the center of attention. And though he's not interested in attention, his charm and heart seems to cast a spell over everyone he encounters, instigating this feeling from people who know him to protect him, no matter what he's done.
Some elements of this story had me flashing to other more contemporary movie characters. The initial introduction of Miner reminded me of Max Denbo in Straight Time, the way he seems to want to forget his past and start over, but just doesn't know how to do anything else. Watch him in that scene where he goes to the movies to see the 1903 film The Great Train Robbery. And believe it or not, he also reminded me of Keanu Reeves' John Wick in the way he has established a reputation that precedes him and has afforded him respect from people who have a past with him. Even his brief romantic encounter with a liberal minded female photographer quietly concludes with him breaking away from her only to protect her.
This film features first-rate production values, especially some gorgeous Oscar-worthy cinematography and exquisite attention to period detail. Love those breathtaking overhead shots of the train slowly moving down the tracks with the smoke billowing above it. Farnsworth, who would be Oscar-nominated for his final performance in The Straight Story (also reviewed in this thread) is just as glorious here in one of the most beautifully unaffected performances I've ever seen, where you never catch him "acting". His soulful expressive eyes project so much emotion all by themselves. The breathtaking work of this one of a kind actor makes this film worth watching all by itself.
A charismatic performance from the late Richard Farnsworth in the title role is the centerpiece of 1982's The Grey Fox, a handsomely mounted biopic about the legendary "gentleman bandit" whose life crosses centuries and impacts just about everyone he encounters.
Bill Miner spent a good portion of the 1800's robbing stagecoaches before being arrested and spending 33 years in prison. Upon his release in 1901, he finds a lot of changes have come along with the dawn of a new century. After briefly contemplating a new life, Miner decides to travel to Canada and begin a new career robbing trains instead.
Director Philip Borsos has mounted this simple but richly entertaining story on a gorgeous canvas, highlighting a real life criminal who is unlike any cinematic criminal we've seen. The story initially presents Miner as a man who, upon his release from prison, wants to begin a new life, but that turns out not to be the case at all. What makes this guy different is that he has a heart, brains, compassion, and empathy. He doesn't want to hurt anybody and is not interested in being the center of attention. And though he's not interested in attention, his charm and heart seems to cast a spell over everyone he encounters, instigating this feeling from people who know him to protect him, no matter what he's done.
Some elements of this story had me flashing to other more contemporary movie characters. The initial introduction of Miner reminded me of Max Denbo in Straight Time, the way he seems to want to forget his past and start over, but just doesn't know how to do anything else. Watch him in that scene where he goes to the movies to see the 1903 film The Great Train Robbery. And believe it or not, he also reminded me of Keanu Reeves' John Wick in the way he has established a reputation that precedes him and has afforded him respect from people who have a past with him. Even his brief romantic encounter with a liberal minded female photographer quietly concludes with him breaking away from her only to protect her.
This film features first-rate production values, especially some gorgeous Oscar-worthy cinematography and exquisite attention to period detail. Love those breathtaking overhead shots of the train slowly moving down the tracks with the smoke billowing above it. Farnsworth, who would be Oscar-nominated for his final performance in The Straight Story (also reviewed in this thread) is just as glorious here in one of the most beautifully unaffected performances I've ever seen, where you never catch him "acting". His soulful expressive eyes project so much emotion all by themselves. The breathtaking work of this one of a kind actor makes this film worth watching all by itself.