'Old Henry' Review: Tim Blake Nelson Is Terrific In A Classic Western Reminiscent Of Eastwood's "Unforgiven"

Arlington TX

03 October, 2021

1:22 PM

Description

By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report October 1, 2021 There's nothing like a good Western. One that blurs the lines between right and wrong. Rustic folks living off the land, hiding from the sins of their past. They may not be looking for it, but somehow redemption finds them and when it does a hailstorm of fury comes with it. "Old Henry" delivers the goods as Tim Blake Nelson plays a simple farmer raising a teenage son who finds himself in a precarious situation that involves a stolen loot of cash, an outlaw, and the lawmen hot on his trail. Stephen Dorff is exceptional in the film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. When Nelson appeared as the singing cowboy dressing in gleaming white as the title character in the Coen Brothers' "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" there was a "Bronco Billy" vibe that came with the role, referencing the 1980 Clint Eastwood Wild West comedy. If that comparison holds true, then think of "Old Henry" as Tim Blake Nelson's "Unforgiven." It's 1906 in the territory of Oklahoma. Henry raises pigs and farms the land with his teenage son Wyatt (Gavin Lewis). The two live alone in a modest rural home after tuberculosis claimed Henry's wife a decade earlier. Her gravesite sets on a hill overlooking the homestead. One afternoon Henry comes across a wounded man (Scott Haze) passed out in a field, his revolver lies a few feet away along with a satchel filled with cash. Henry's first instinct is to leave the man to die, who's probably an outlaw, and grab the loot. However, he has a conscience and so he loads the man, named Curry, on his horse and takes him home where he's nursed back to health. Henry is smart by keeping Curry tied to the bed in case he wakes up and threatens his son. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.