Maverick
1994 · Directed by Richard Donner
- action
- adventure
- comedy
- drama
- western
The story
Bret Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional $3k in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game beginning in a few days. He joins forces with a woman with a marvelous Southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-faded Western comedy with the bounce of a 1990s studio picture: wide, dusty vistas of Monument Valley-style desert and sunlit Mississippi riverboat decks, with saloon interiors lit by amber lamps and cigar haze. The camera tends toward classical, unhurried framing, lingering on card tables, poker faces and sideways glances rather than chasing action, and the score is a jaunty orchestral Western swing that drops out for quiet moments of bluffing. Its vibe is playful, sly and easygoing, the sort of thing to put on for a lazy weekend afternoon or a comfort rewatch with a drink in hand. Pacing is brisk and talky, built on banter, reversals and running cons, and the emotional register stays light: a charming drifter who would rather talk his way out of trouble than fight, slowly warming to a partner who is quicker than he expects. Violence is occasional and brief, mostly shootouts and scuffles played for laughs, with no gore and little that darkens the mood. Suited to people who want a witty, good-humoured caper with old-fashioned Western scenery and plenty of charm.