A talented cast elevates this entertaining western
This one might interest you if you’re looking for a murder mystery in a Western setting and that’s exactly what it offers. Murder in Yellowstone City is a murder mystery set in a once-thriving gold rush town of Montana during the Wild West era. At the center of this sordid story is an unidentified killer who is responsible for several of the deaths. But who is responsible?
Cicero, played by Isaiah Mustafa, was a freed slave who found himself in Yellowstone City hoping to find a way to escape his past and start a new life. He is in no way responsible for what happened.
Murder in Yellowstone City
But when a local gold digger named Robert Dunnigan is found dead shortly after discovering the location of a gold mine, the mysterious newcomer to town quickly becomes the prime suspect in the case. He is taken into custody for the crime by Sheriff Jim Ambrose (Gabriel Byrne), but as you probably expected, more people are murdered as he waits to be punished for his alleged misdeeds. Sheriff Jim Ambrose is played by Gabriel Byrne.
Given that any of the town’s citizens may have had their sights set on claiming Dunnigan’s gold, it is reasonable to believe that greed was the driving force behind the murders. But as the mystery unfolds, another possible explanation is revealed and some of the townspeople, such as squire Violet Running Horse (Tanaya Beatty), clergyman Thaddeus Murphy (Thomas Jane) and the saloon owner Edgar Blake (Richard Dreyfuss), become key players in the complex but not overly convoluted plot.
You’re going to be a little disappointed if you’re anticipating a story in the vein of Agatha Christie in which the identity of the killer isn’t revealed until the very end of the film because, unfortunately, the identity of Dunnigan’s killer is out. somewhere around the middle of the movie. If you’re looking for a movie that looks like a puzzle box, you might be disappointed with this one since director, Richard Gray, and writer, Eric Balgua, drop some clues that are too obvious to be considered a mystery.
Despite that, I don’t think it’s a waste of time to watch the movie. You’re unlikely to get bored watching this entertaining story due to the presence of a talented cast, which also includes Nat Wolff (Paper Towns) and Aimee Garcia (Lucifer), respectively. Because of the outstanding work done by the cast, “Murder in Yellowstone City” is elevated to a level far beyond that of the Western B-movie it could have been had the cast been comprised of less gifted individuals.
Yellowstone City undoubtedly has the appearance of a seedy town, with its saloons, brothels and ramshackle houses, and the town itself is just as much of a character as any of the mysterious people who choose to roam. install there. The city’s visuals, along with the excellent performances, contribute a lot to the film’s overall sense of credibility. The special effects near the opening of the film, when an explosive reveals the location of the gold, are less realistic; but, once the plot begins and the main mystery is introduced, it is easy to overlook this flaw in the cinema.
Another thing that works in the film’s favor is that its shootouts are entertaining to watch and are convincingly staged. Plus, there are other horse chases that take place throughout the film, each one extremely exciting. If you’re looking for some good, old-fashioned western action in the mold of movies of the past starring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, then you’ll probably like what the director has accomplished here.
However, there are some issues with the script. Aside from the central mystery, which resolves a bit too quickly, there are other moments in the story that are a bit hazy. For example, there is a moment later in the film in which Cicero comes out of his cell, but we are not shown how he gets there. When this assistant is reprimanded for not doing a good job, there are not many explanations given, nor do we know much about the shortcomings of the goalkeeper who was supposed to be on duty.
I slyly suspect that the problem lies in the editing, as it’s possible some parts were cut out in order to make the film more manageable in length; on the other hand, it could just be bad storytelling. It’s a shame that Belgau’s script, which is generally quite intellectual and features unique language and people who aren’t written as stereotypes, couldn’t have worked better because of it.
I think you’ll enjoy this movie a bit if you’re able to see past the film’s few issues and give it a chance. When I first heard about the film, I didn’t have very high expectations, mainly because I thought it was a low-budget western that featured a number of characters. well-known actors with the aim of attracting a wider audience. Thomas Jane and Richard Dreyfuss are both artists who have worked hard in low-budget films over the past few years. That’s one of the reasons I initially thought this was just another movie they agreed to star in just for the sake of collecting a paycheck.
Fortunately, I was shown that I was wrong. Even though Murder at Yellowstone City isn’t considered a classic in the cowboy movie genre, it’s still far better than most of the live-action cowboy movies that have tainted the genre in recent years, and you should not mix with these films.
There are various places online where reviews for this one aren’t exactly rave reviews, but it’s possible that some reviewers set their expectations too high due to the impressive cast. You might like this movie more than them if you can just adjust your expectations a little. I certainly thought it was good enough, and if an ill-intentioned reviewer wants to meet me at noon for a review showdown, I’ll gladly show up to meet him. I would also be delighted to come and meet them.
