Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Killer Eagles

Author(s): Pat

Location: NY

"The Killer Eagles"

Directed By Clint Eastwood
Written By David Benioff

Main Cast

Clint Eastwood (Harris Whitmore)
Cate Blanchett (Helena Whitmore)
Jeff Bridges (Matthew Eagle)
Kevin Bacon (Garrett Eagle)
Martin Sheen (Quincy D’Arcy)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Wendy D’Arcy)
Sam Rockwell (Zeke Eagle)
Jared Leto (Joshua Eagle)
Ashton Holmes (Jonathan Whitmore)
Abigail Breslin (Lily Whitmore)

Tagline: "When faced with disaster, family is the only thing you stand by"

Synopsis: 1874 California. Helena Whitmore (Cate Blanchett) is a hard-working single mother of Jonathan (Ashton Holmes) and Lily (Abigail Breslin) who owns and runs a small motel in the little gold rush town of Reagan’s Point, California, which is located near the Oregon border. She quietly does her job and tries to butt out of the town’s affairs but cannot fend off the insistant hospitality of Sheriff D’Arcy (Martin Sheen) and his wife, Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). One cold morning in February, Helena finds that someone has broken into one of her rooms and investigates only to learn that it is her father, Harris (Clint Eastwood), who has made himself comfortable in her establishment without her knowledge. Harris is an old, rugged gunslinger who has seen more than his fair share of saloons and brothels. As Helena grew up, Harris would frequently leave the home for months on end to achieve some distant goal, whether it be a bounty or some treasure, which caused Helena to become enraged with him. Harris pleads for forgiveness and convinces his daughter that he wants to make amends for his past mistakes by helping her fix up the motel, which was creeping into decay.

Months past and the two finally began to get along…that was until the Eagle Brothers came into town. Known for their brash tactics against rebelling Indian tribes, the Eagles were comprised of four cowboy siblings. Matthew (Jeff Bridges), the eldest, used his degrading swagger to dull his opponents before engaging in his ruthless activties. Garrett (Kevin Bacon) was more subdued than his older brother but was unafraid to take someone down if he saw it fit. Zeke (Sam Rockwell) was the joker of the bunch who usually told some sort of perverted zinger before dispatching his enemies. And Joshua (Jared Leto), the youngest, seemed to be mentally ill, having tendencies to incite violent situations when it was inappropriate. The four Eagles took up in Helena’s establishment, claiming to be looking for a man named Edward, who stole their cash from a bank robbery. As time passed and Helena became more familiar with the Eagles, she began to learn that it was her father was the man they were looking for.

Helena confronts her father and demands that he leave town, but sure enough, the Eagles learn of Harris’ whereabouts and announce a full scale war on the town until Harris is brought to their hands. The Sheriff wants the town to be peaceful, Harris wants to leave without a bullet in him, and Helena cannot decide whether to protect the town or her family. But all she knows is that she must make a decision…soon. “The Killer Eagles” is a violent spectacle of cinema that makes the deepest roots of American society seem like a nightmare.

What the Press would say:

Clint Eastwood returns to the genre that made him famous in “The Killer Eagles”, a story about family issues, greed, and violence. At the center is Cate Blanchett in a stunning turn as Helena Whitmore, the owner of a motel who is forced to house her father while the men seeking to kill him also shack up there. She shows deception, sexuality, caring, and a stern disposition when she dominates all her scenes against her co-star. Clint Eastwood acts the best he has in years as an aging gunslinger who could face his last stand. His rugged demeanor and stunning ability to strike fear with just a blink of his eyes. Martin Sheen and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio play the sheriff and his wife in very quaint performances. Kevin Bacon and Jeff Bridges round out the cast as two of the Eagle brothers, with Bacon giving his best performance ever and Bridges becoming one of the coolest, most sadistic killers in the Western genre.

FYC

Best Picture
Best Director-Clint Eastwood
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor-Clint Eastwood
Best Actress-Cate Blanchett
Best Supporting Actor-Kevin Bacon
Best Supporting Actor-Jeff Bridges
Best Supporting Actor-Martin Sheen
Best Supporting Actress-Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

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