Rio Bravo

USA, 1959. Directed by Howard Hawks. John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen this film and watching it again recently I was aware I had mixed feelings about it; apart from anything else it feels like an old person's movie, full of corn and characters you can rely on to do what you'd expect them to do, and the pace of the action is somewhat leisurely. It’s very much Wayne and Hawks winding down after their respective lengthy careers. On the other hand, I could watch this film almost any time - the dialogue's witty and enjoyable, the whole cast is excellent with Dean Martin especially a joy to watch, it's easy on the eye and brain and the good guys win (naturally). A great Sunday afternoon film.