Review: Lance Henriksen and Tom Berenger fit comfortably into throwback western ‘Gone Are the Days,’ flaws and all
The occasional western still rolls across the movie landscape like a lonely tumbleweed, which makes first-time feature director Mark Landre Gould’s earnestly old-fashioned “Gone Are The Days” — it’s right there in the title — something of a welcome sight, flaws and all. Gould has the good sense, for instance, to work a dusty, nostalgic mood early on by letting Lance Henriksen, playing a crusty, regretful outlaw on his last legs, rule the first ten minutes or so puttering around his ramshackle homestead.
It’s nice to be reminded a B-movie stalwart has extra shadings to offer. Same with veteran tough guy Tom Berenger as a mining town sheriff with a past, one tied up in Henriksen’s. It’s no surprise, then, that these two are headed for a showdown when the old criminal makes a redemptive trip into town to find a lost daughter (Meg Steedle), atone for past sins and maybe pull off one more bank job with the help of a mysterious young man (Billy Lush).
Gould’s admiration for the genre is affecting and sincere. The problem is that his and screenwriter Greg Tucker’s love of horse operas both boilerplate and ruminative a la Peckinpah doesn’t mesh well enough into a smooth ride. The mystical touches — like Danny Trejo’s river figure and another obviously imaginary presence — are mostly drags, and the second half’s strained plotting isn’t as compelling as the early scene-setting moments. But fans of westerns will find nods and touches to admire.
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‘Gone Are The Days’
Rating: R, for violence, language, some drug material and nude images
Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes
Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills; available on Blu-ray and digital April 10
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