G. Daniel Marc

I had high hopes for this film based on Costner's previous genre work and tough guy roles he's become known for. Many people are quick to reference life experiences as the "wild wild west" and along with Oliver Stone or the late Stanley Kubrick you sit up at attention when someone like Kevin Costner tells you a story for 3 or 4 hours about North America. I don't remember the exact running time but it's certainly not that far off. He's obviously a major character but isn't all that significant if you're more interested in the love stories or even the action-packed sequences. The opening scenes set the tone quite nicely - a fire-ravaged town under someone's control while everyone else figures out how to get on with their lives.There are tons of parent-child scenes that will leave you breathless and wondering who you'd be and how you'd react which is certainly a serious difference between other forms of historical fictions. As an afficianado I must say the lighting, technology and cinematography are worth the experience alone and will mention that you should pay close attention to Luke Wilson's language. Toughness like that has yet to properly be defined. And although you might not manage to make all the connections between cross-hatched story lines and characters competing for you attention - immerse yourself into this experience at the theater surrounded by skittles and popcorn.