In 1880s New Mexico, self-declared prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs) is building a church on "God's land." Unfortunately, "God's land" is also inhabited by a farming couple, Miguel (Eduardo Noriega) and Sarah (January Jones), whose attempts to grow crops keep being stymied by Josiah's free-roaming flock of sheep. At the same time, two brothers who happen to be related to the Governor have gone missing, and it seems to lawman Sheriff Jackson (Ed Harris) that they must have disappeared right in the middle of Josiah's spread. The meeting and interactions between these characters will bring out their respective histories, misdemeanors and other crimes, and it's anyone's guess who might live to tell the tale.... Although I don't generally like Westerns, I was very impressed at FantAsia 2011 by "Blackthorn," in which Sam Shepard plays an aging Butch Cassidy (and Eduardo Noriega has a feature role, as in "Sweetwater"); I thought for sure Shepard would get lots of acting awards once the film played in wide release, but I don't think it ever got a wide release. Fearful of missing another great Western by assuming it would be in regular theatres any day, I made sure to catch "Sweetwater" this year and I'm glad I did! Ed Harris is amazing as the very eccentric, borderline crazy sheriff and Jason Isaacs is incredibly chilling as the definitely way-over-the-border psychotic preacher. But January Jones was just electric here; sure she looks gorgeous and makes most of the male characters drool, but she's thoroughly independent and absolutely fearless when she decides to take matters into her own hands. The landscape is breath-taking (and will make you thirsty just looking at it) and the story-telling is marvelous. I hope this has a better fate than "Blackthorn," because it deserves to be seen even by those, like me, who don't tend to like Westerns.
Review of Sweetwater
