Why make another gangster film but set it in the Wild West? And why create a female lead with tremendous power but absolutely no agency? I'm sure Marty thinks he is saying something about Capitalism, Exploitation and Genocide in the twenty-first century, but the laziness of the writing by Eric Roth, the lack of any authentic Native American voice, and the bizarre self-conscious epilogue totally miss the mark.
The best filmmaking in these 3½ hours is the heroin hallucinations.
To me, the point this movie makes is that privileged octogenarian white men need to get out of the way and let other identities take the lead in telling their own stories; an issue not dissimilar to our current political situation. MeToo says: "Let us tell our own stories," and Marty & Apple & Yes Men clapback: "Long live privileged octogenarian white male authorship...and exploitation."
I suppose MS is entitled to try to grab a couple more Oscars before meeting his ultimate demise, but that's not actually a reason to pour a huge amount of resources into telling a story he's not equipped to tell.
—November 12, 2023
