This has far, far too many soliloquies... The material itself isn't worthy of it.

First-time director D'Onofrio has as an admirable visual style, whether we get medium-long-shot takes or intimate close-ups. This is a good-looking period piece film, percolating with top-tier performances.

It succeeds sporadically as a corrective anti-myth, but as a story about people, it fails to come to life.

If you can stick with it long enough to enjoy the second act, you may leave the theater with some feeling of satisfaction. However, too many holes exist in this beautifully filmed tapestry of the American west.