Jane Got a Gun

After a chequered production history, Gavin O'Connor's western makes it to the screen, but with a few rough edges. It sees a gang of outlaws converge on the homestead of the eponymous protagonist (Natalie Portman) in search of her wounded husband (Noah Emmerich). Arming herself to the teeth, this feisty housewife reinvents herself as a gunslinger, enlisting the help of her embittered ex (Joel Edgerton). Leading the charge against them is an oddly cast Ewan McGregor, all moustache and negligible malevolence. The film looks the part; its dusty landscapes infused with a seductive honey glow. However, the meat of the story is told in frustratingly fleeting, sometimes cringingly naff flashbacks that crassly contrast the punchy violence, while the screenplay lacks the profundity it so obviously strives for. The climactic shoot-out is nonetheless thrillingly staged, and if Portman and Edgerton's dynamic feels limp, the former brings ample conviction. The female lead gives it fire power, but Jane Got a Gun is far from a crack shot.