Yellowstone is a Paramount Network western with Kevin Costner in the lead. He plays the head of the John Dutton family, the owner of a huge ranch in Yellowstone National Park. The Dutton family has so much land that John, like "Frost Warsfighter's Watchdog bypasses his possessions" on a private helicopter.
Why do some have everything, while others have nothing? This question keeps businessman Don Jenkins awake, who dreams of building a huge entertainment complex in the western lands of the Duttonians and uses all the "loopholes" to "saw off" a piece of land at the intractable cowboy. On the other hand, the new chief of the local indigenous tribe, Thomas Rainwater, is eager to open a casino with all the ensuing casinos on his reservation and to do the same, he could use a fat piece of Dutton land. Only the Duttons themselves don't want to give anything to anyone, not for money or so. The family has owned this piece of land for generations, since the founding of the city. Nothing unites people like having a common enemy. The Dutton family had to bury all their family grudges and rally in front of the onslaught of all those who had opened up their "mouthpiece on someone else's piece".
I admire Kevin Costner (Water World, Coach, Hidden figures). For the film Dancing with the wolves - he is forever in my heart of a movie buff. Although, his career is more like a "roller coaster" - then in chocolate, then in another substance of the same color. Among his awards are two Oscars, two Golden Globes, Silver Bear (Berlin Film Festival), Emmy...and more than ten nominations for Golden Raspberry (the worst of the year in the film industry), six of which he managed to get). And yet he is in the ranks, full of strength, enthusiasm, and desire to work. He does not sit on his ass exactly, does not wait for the sea weather. No work at the Dream Factory - no trouble. Decided - I will become a producer and shoot the series with myself in the main role. It is said - done. He found an interesting scenario, persuaded (and maybe not had to persuade) the director Taylor Sheridan, gathered a group of like-minded people, invited worthy actors and voila! Yellowstone to you in the piggy bank. I imagine with what pleasure director Taylor Sheridan (Windy River, Any Price, Murderer) immersed himself in the work on this picture. Born in Texas, he grew up on a similar ranch. Maybe that's why sometimes the series Yellowstone more like Discovery Channel, which juicily shows the beauty of Montana, rather than scenery against which the dramatic events unfolded series. Boundless lands, wildlife, stunning sunsets - a beauty! You can see how Sheridan literally "savors" every shot and takes his time. The poor guy misses the vast expanses and pristine natural beauties. The series does not lose from this, rather the contrary.
I am not a fan of westerns. Watching the series solely because of Costner, so my comments on the subject can be dictated by my subjective rejection of this genre. The plot: Let's take something from a working farmer-cowboy (wife, cattle, land - not the essence), agree, not new, I would even say, it's a classic genre. Wishing somehow to "update" the classics and give it a new sound, the writers generously added to the plot by difficult relations between "father and children" and "children and children". In my humble opinion, the writers overdid it. Scenes with the clarification of relations in some places are so tight that the actors are beginning to sag, and there is practically nothing to play (five minutes ago the conflict was completely resolved, and they are still smoking and continue to "refine the water in the mortar"); "war" with external enemies throughout the season has not been acutely developed, and remained at the level of "quiet, Chapai think will be" (waiting for the second season, maybe there, "unloaded gun will shoot"). The topic of the deadly disease in GG (the enemies will not have time to knock on the head) is already such a cliché that it is not even able to cause pity to GG.
But the most important thing is that I still don't understand, there is some special indulgence in Montana for the right to kill everyone you don't want and you won't get anything for it? Wait till you throw rotten eggs at me! I honestly confess I don't know Montana's criminal laws. It's quite possible that all the heroes of Yellowstone's show were within the bounds of the law. But I was deeply bewildered, and so half of what Yellowstone's heroes are doing seems to be just a fantasy of writers or nostalgia for the past few days and has nothing to do with today's reality.
What I really liked about the show was the characters. Each character in the series - a small universe with a bunch of internal complexes, resentments, doubts, desires, aspirations. All bright, characteristic, individual, contradictory.
Country: USA.
Year: 2018.