By: Keaton Marcus

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 15, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

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In "Never Grow Old", the western sees actor John Cusack return to the big-business, as he takes the role of Dutch Albert--an outlaw that invades a small, peaceful frontier town. After many straight-to-DVD flicks in the past few years, most of them mired in mediocrity--this gritty new picture brings Cusack his first real chance in a while. Remember John Cusack in the beginning, the go-to for romantic comedies, performing in cute pics such as "Serendipity" and "Say Anything"--remember his charming looks, well in "Never Grow Old", his performance screams evil, the malicious Albert is a villain for the ages. Dutch Albert also never plays it safe, and the gore proves so--the character brings back brothels, and whores to a quiet Christian town, turning it to hell on Earth.

Actor Emile Hirsch also plays the supporting role of Patrick Tate, who works as an undertaker in a petite, withdrawn frontier town--he has settled down with his wife Audrey Tate (Deborah Francois), his daughter (Molly McCann) and Thomas, his son (Quinn Marcus). The town is led by Preacher Pike (Danny Webb) who has banned alcohol, prostitution and any violence--as he wants it to be a Christian town. However, when Dutch Albert and his other two outlaws: Dumb Dumb (an amazing Sam Louwyck) and Sicily arrive--and mentioned before, bring back whores, alcohol and death, lots of death-- business starts to boom for Patrick, as the bodies start to pile up.

Emile's appearance is remarkably soft-spoken, tame and placid--his Irish accent works like a charm, and really, the actor brings a reassuring sense of innocence to the film--his chemistry with Cusack is incredible--and the role is very well-scripted. "Never Grow Old" itself could have been better, but the strong performance from Hirsch wholly distracts audiences. Hirsch is also criminally underused and underrated, despite his triumphantly realistic showcase in true-story "Into the Wild"--and over the years, whether it's surviving in the outskirts of Alaska, or driving race cars in a big-budget anime adaptation--the young actor never fails to charm. Audiences will be much more drawn to the fierceness and boldness of Cusack's performance, but members looking for a more timid outing will be more than pleased with Emile Hirsch in "Never Grow Old".

The supporting cast is particularly strong too. Actress Deborah Francois helms the role of Patrick's wife, Audrey--a young French immigrant; while Francois' doesn’t quite have the amount of lines as the leading men, the sheer effort of her performance makes her more than a match for the male characters, a female, European bad-ass. The occasional falters in the script, and sound editing drags the whole cast underneath in fleeting moments, nevertheless, these performances are worth a watch. Besides the over-exaggerated execution for the Preacher and the Sherrif--Dumb-Dumb is the shining star in the aiding members of the cast--played by Sam Louwyck--who is known for a number of TV films, and short features--plays the outlaw with such delicacy, turmoil and with a sharp enough heart to settle it out. His character had his tongue cut off, and he currently carries the body part in a little pocket, bringing it out to scare people--like some sick party trick. While this all sounds too ridiculous for such a dark spectacle, it really works--and never fails to creep you out.

Ivan Kavanaugh also never forgets to add some horror elements to the bleak film. Known for the gore-laden thriller "The Canal" and "The Tin Can Man", both generally well-received--this dark director has not lost a second for his scary origins. These little moments are clearly shown in a terrific execution scene of Emily Crabtree, played by Luxembourgish actress Manon Capelle--the scene is so tear-jerking, harrowing and tragic, it may or may not make you lose your marbles sobbing. The little girl was convicted of murder (but really, self-defense) against a drunk rapist looking for a whore. It's so easy to mess the iconic scene up with the wrong actress, but Capelle does it so right, that it works, really, really works. Otherwise, Preacher Pike (Danny Webb) also has a terrifying dream, featuring Pete (murdered by Dutch Albert) screaming with his face covered in blood--what are they trying to do here? Well, its like a messed-up looking Carrie from Stephen King's novel--but whatever Kavanaugh's hidden meaning was--its effective.

The setting is also very diverse and unique from other films of the genre. Most westerns such as "True Grit", or even last year's "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" always tend to use the same-type of filming locations--dry, dusty and filled with bites--"Never Grow Old" uses the murky, damp location of Ireland to differ, creating a more realistic design of what it was really like concerning the people circa 1849--around when the gold rush happened. Along with the filming locations, the set-pieces and cinematography propped in the country are beautiful and more complex than most other films. Also, another thing, most westerns center around cowboys, played by hunks like John Wayne, but "Never Grow Old" focuses on a quiet undertaker living with his family--also making the film just a heck of a lot more real.

The final verdict is: "Never Grow Old" occasionally suffers from a predictable plot and storyline--but the picture's strong performances, beautiful cinematography, and unique setting make the film another solid western worth a watch...$TREAM IT

By: Keaton Marcus