Daniel Craig names his favourite westerns: “There’s a little more reality”
In the 2011 film Cowboys & Aliens, Daniel Craig stars as Jake Lonergan, an amnesiac outlaw who becomes central to the plot when extraterrestrial beings abduct townspeople in 1873 Arizona. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie juxtaposes the Western and science fiction genres, featuring a cast that includes Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.
The film is based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name. Despite its genre-bending premise and star-studded cast, Cowboys & Aliens received poor reviews. Some critics praised the actors but criticized the screenplay and tonal inconsistencies. Supergluing two high-concept genres onto each other is no easy task in the best of circumstances.
The movie is about as good as its premise, mostly being pilloried by critics and audiences alike. It wasn’t really supposed to be good, though. From its title to its execution, the film was designed to be a midnight B-Movie–the studio just spent too much money on it, and it lost $75million on the enterprise.
Craig’s not James Bond anymore, and the franchise may never be the same due to recent developments with the Broccoli family losing their rights to the studio, compromising the franchise’s integrity. Daniel Craig is a good actor, though (if not in this), and his influences are of some interest. And besides, after his tenure as James Bond, Craig sought roles that differed markedly from the iconic spy character. This desire led him to projects like Queer, where he portrays a complex character navigating personal turmoil in 1950s Mexico City.
Speaking to female.com.au (of all places) about Cowboys & Aliens, it’s reported “A longtime fan of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as Alien and Blade Runner, Daniel Craig didn’t feel as if it would be a big leap to bring these genres together. Admitting that he “based his character very much on the silence of Clint Eastwood,” Daniel Craig prepared for the part by seeing as many Westerns as he could.” and if there’s anything memorable about Craig’s performance, it’s that he was quiet.
The actor says, “I watched a lot of John Wayne Westerns, but my favourite ones are the ones from the ’70s-movies like Little Big Man and those so-called dirty Westerns where there’s a little more reality.” which is an interesting pick for a film where Olivia Wilde plays an alien.
But Craig has always worn his influence on his French Cuffed sleeves. Early in his career, Craig had the opportunity to work alongside the legendary actor Paul Newman in the 2002 film Road to Perdition. Observing Newman’s performance, Craig says that he learned the importance of subtlety and restraint in acting.
This experience taught him that powerful performances often come from underplaying emotions, allowing the audience to engage more deeply with the character’s internal struggles. He didn’t quite pull that off for most Cowboys and Aliens viewers, but you can see what he was going for.
