Ride with the Devil (1999)

Premise: After the murder of one of their fathers by Jayhawkers (Northern Allies), two best friends (Skeet Ulrich and Tobey Maguire) join the Bushwakers (Southern partisan fighters). In case it wasn't clear, it's the American Civil War. Oh, and Jack Bull Chiles (Ulrich) becomes involved with Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel).

Yup, Jewel was in a movie. To my knowledge, this is the only one. And she does a pretty good job. Not, I'd like to thank the Academy good, but now there's a bunch of screenplays on my doorstep good.

I actually thought it was about time I got around to reviewing a film of one of my top five directors: Ang Lee. I love Ang Lee. I don't know if I could name a single director who tells a story more beautifully than Lee. I love watching his movies. He captivates you with scenery, seduces you with setting, and then pitches perfect performances at you. Of course, I think James Schamus might have something to with it. He wrote this screenplay, and he wrote the screenplays for many of Lee's other pictures (The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Eat Drink Man Woman, among others). Okay, I wasn't going to mention this, but they are also responsible for Hulk, which counts as a big strike against them. I don't know what they were thinking. They are slow, emotional drama people, not comic book action movie people.

Maguire has shown himself to be a man of discernment. He is a talented young actor, and this piece gives him to the opportunity to showcase his quiet simplicity. He plays well off Ulrich and Jewel and does more than hold his own against powerful actors such as Tom Wilkinson and James Caviezel. Now that I think about it, I'm really digging Maguire as an actor. He's slowly coming into his own, balancing art house films with summer blockbusters. Very nicely done, Maguire.

Ulrich, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. He makes some strange moves. I like him here, but I don't have a sense of what he is doing or where he is going. For right now, I will shrug him off until he has a chance to prove himself one way or the other.

One word of warning: the film's a bit long. I enjoy every minute of it, but, if you aren't prepared for Lee's pacing, you won't like it. In fact, you might fall asleep and not understand who's alive and who's dead when you come to. That said, it's a dead brilliant and beautiful movie.