3:10 to Yuma takes number one spot at the U.S. box office

Posted by fanshawe

September 10, 2007

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James Mangold’s remake of the classic western 3:10 to Yuma, starring Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol and Alan Tudyk, took the number one spot at the North American box office this weekend, earning approximately $14.1 million.

The film is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard and tells the tale of a desperate rancher (Christian Bale) who takes an assignment to escort an outlaw (Russell Crowe) to Yuma. The plot gets more complex as the outlaw tries to win over his family and as his gang sets out to help him escape imprisonment. The movie has so far got excellent reviews, both at the recent Venice Film Festival and from American critics, with minor complaints being related to the somewhat anti-climactic last act and Russell Crowe’s character being too sympathetic. All the performances are reportedly top notch, with Ben Foster’s sociopathic outlaw being tipped for a possible supporting actor Oscar. If the predictions turn out to be accurate, there will be several cowboys in the race for an Academy Award next year, since both Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford also seem to be early contenders.

3 :10 to Yuma opens in the UK on September 14 and in theatres worldwide soon afterwards.