Best movie of this year hands down!

What a waste of my time!!!

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I hadn't seen this since it was first out in theaters, so all I remembered was that it was very good indeed! Well, that, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest and Farnsworth's charm. It was released by Video Treasures in '88; it's interesting that this same VHS edition is still apparently the only video available, and I don't recall seeing it in the TV listings, though it may well have been aired. Anyway, I got a good deal on a slightly used copy on eBay and settled in to view it. For a nearly 30-year- old VHS tape this copy has held up well and is watchable, despite the fact that the nice folks at Video Treasures were a bit too thrifty with tape and put it out at LP speed-- very unusual, and completely baffling to our more advanced VCR. In fact we couldn't get a picture at all until we switched to an older unit that could resolve the tracking. The visual quality isn't too bad, considering (at least on a small screen)-- though let me add my voice to the chorus of DVD voters. Also the original festival runtime of 110 minutes has been whittled down to a stated 92, and without the leader, FBI warning and tracking frame it's even less. So what are we missing?I wouldn't really call this a Western, since the Far West was never quite like the Old West; the picture is just set in old times away from the big cities. No one wears a cowboy hat. You'll find no cheap thrills, no gratuitous gore or gross-outs, no glamorization of Miner's career. The robberies aren't shown as lighthearted capers, just realistically uncomfortable --and sometimes unsuccessful-- crimes, committed with the aid of a couple of pathetic losers the Gentleman Bandit managed to recruit. The man had a degree of charm and persuasion that made him a folk hero, and Farnsworth is so likable in the role that one can readily understand Miner's popularity. While he was no altruistic Robin Hood (in fact he was a definite sociopath, and his handwriting reveals an extreme degree of narcissism), later in his career he gained much of his popularity through having robbed wealthy companies that were perceived as themselves robbing the public. In 1992 a book about him came out: "The Grey Fox: the True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old Time Bandits" by Boessenecker and Dugan. It's always nice to get the documented facts, and this supplies plenty. One prominent fact is that Miner was bisexual. For a man who spent half his life in prison it was pretty much a necessity to be with men while inside; he seems to have mostly kept to women when out. Probably any film treatment nowadays would include some of this to portray him more accurately, but "The Grey Fox" only focuses on his doings after his final release from San Quentin (almost 20 years for this stretch; he'd been in before). He did in fact escape from the Canadian prison-- a few days after convincing the deputy warden's daughter that he sincerely regretted his past acts and was content to end his days in prison, as a humble penitent. No romance was ever suggested here, but it definitely demonstrates his colossal nerve and ability to feign sincerity. He did live it up on his booty, and it was in Denver that he had what appears to be his last romance with a lady-- Bill was a charmer at any age! And he never changed his ways, so once the money ran out he got into fresh trouble, this time in the South, where in 1911 he received his final conviction. It somewhat spoils the fun of the movie's ending to learn that Miner, still well-liked, died in a Georgia prison in 1913 after two escapes and recaptures. Perhaps most of us are better off not knowing about that...

A lovely, sweet film, galvanized by an amazing, endearing performance by then 62 year old stuntman Richard Farnsworth in the lead. Beautifully shot, leisurely paced, it doesn't challenge your view of the world,or wrench your heart out. It just quietly entertains you with the funny/sad story of an aging thief having his last go at glory and love. If Farnsworth's performance wasn't so damn honest, true and lovable the film wouldn't work. But, against all reason you root for this train robber, and take him into your heart. I heartily join all those begging for this gorgeous film to be given the blu-ray, or at least restored DVD release it richly deserves. Just judging by the comments here, I'd say there's certainly a market for it!

I think this is one of the most flawless and beautiful movies of all time. The acting and casting is impeccable. What I particularly love is the script; so few words but when something is spoken each line has such weight and impact. And the music is amazing. What a brilliant idea, a western with Celtic (the Chieftains) music. The spirit and emotion of the music enhances every scene and is so fresh and unexpected and ultimately, right. And it's such a wonderful love story. Normally I wouldn't care about a romance between two older characters, but I root for these two characters in each and every scene. Richard Farnsworth was nominated for Best Actor and it is a shame he didn't win. Please, watch it if you haven't.

This IMHO is the best western movie to come out after Josey Wales and before Pale Rider. It's even much better than that much lauded Dance With Wolves. This is a sort of low key Canadian made movie and it offered Farnsworth arguably his best role as star. The story concerns one Bill Miner, a train robber, since the the Civil War days. He's been locked up in prison since 1868 and is released from prison in 1901 just in time to be delivered into the 20th century. Bill is thrilled and awed by what he sees in 1901. The first motorcars, the earliest motion pictures, the phonograph. They all tell of the future. Although a robber and convict, Bill is a soft hearted guy perhaps mellowed with age and the years spent in prison. But he can still take care of himself such as one scene in a barroom when a bully tries to threaten him and Bill breaks a large bottle over the thugs head and then pointing the muzzle of his revolver in the thugs face. Unable to make ends meet financially he meets with a loser criminal named Shorty and they get into robbing trains and stealing again. Bill & Shorty go into hiding and the Pinkerton detectives are hot on their trail. Shorty & Bill are caught in the woods after Shorty panics while routinely being searched by the Canadian Mounted Police. Bill however manages to escape and goes on the lam. He later meets up with a woman who is an opera & arts enthusiast named Kate(Jackie Burroughs). She plays some Caruso on her phonograph while painting outdoors. She and Bill become lovers. Another person Bill befriends is a young rookie Police Sergeant. The young man, new to his job, tells Bill that the whole town is after Bill Miner. The only thing is that the sergeant doesn't recognize Miner & the older guy he has befriended as being one and the same. Great character study here. Finally, Bill is caught by those unceasing Pinkerton detectives and is led to the train station and to jail in a flamboyant manner for the whole town to see. This scene harks back to those seen in the old time westerns even as far back as to silent film westerns. At the end of the movie, actually behind the rolling of the credits, we see & read that Bill has gone missing or has escaped out of prison as of 1907. We're left wondering if Bill died in the Canadian Wilderness or somehow made it to Europe on the arm of an attractive lady. Quite possibly his lover Kate. Great Story. Nicely shot