KSL Movie Show review: ‘The Unholy Trinity’ features some terrific actors giving it all they’ve got

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I’ve seen a lot of dime-store Westerns in my day, but most of them don’t have the star power of this little gem wannabe.

Check out this line-up: Pierce Brosnan plays Sheriff Gabriel Dove of Trinity, Montana. Samuel L. Jackson is a grinning scoundrel called St. Christopher. Tim Daly (briefly) is Isaac Broadway, who’s hung for a killing he probably didn’t commit. David Arquette is a lyin’, thievin’ outlaw called Father Jacob.

And at the center of all this star power is a young actor I’ve never seen before (Brandon Lessard) who plays Isaac’s dutiful son Henry, out for justice for the death of his pa.

So when your dad makes you promise to avenge him, by killing Trinity’s bad sheriff, you immediately catch the next stagecoach to this little dirt-clod of a town, walk up to the guy who is wearing the big star on his vest and put a gun to his head.

And this always cracks me up in these tough guy movies — the intended lawman/target is sitting in a church pew, knows someone has entered the chapel, BUT NEVER TURNS AROUND and has this whole calm, cool and collected conversation with this nervous tinhorn pointing a gun at him.

It’s much like that other cool cat trope where the star walks away in slow motion from a massive explosion while never looking back. Hilarious.

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As cooler heads prevail, Henry starts to get a clearer picture of what’s really going on in Trinity, which is filled with dumb, stereotypical outlaws, a heart-of-gold saloon gal and the conniving St. Christopher who is always lurking nearby, pulling the puppet strings.

Two other characters I haven’t mentioned, but forced me to do a double-take, were Sam the bartender, played by Ethan Peck (Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), and a Blackfoot Indian woman called Running Club, played by Q’orianka Kilcher (Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s The New World). Hey, everybody’s gotta make a living, right?

I guess it’s just a weird thing to see. This handful of Hall of Fame actors in a pretty low-budget Western that doesn’t have the best writing or a concise storyline or fancy sets, but they’re all doing their best to elevate the material. Heck, even the gunshots sound funny.

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And speaking of that, the grisly violence seems way over the top. Did they have to shoot the nice bar lady for trying to show young Henry a good time? Or when barkeeper Sam unknowingly provides a clue to where some gold might be buried and gets a rude “thanks” for his foresight? There was no need for any of that.

So when the dust settles, we’re left watching some terrific actors ride off into the sunset in the twilight of their careers, doing these little movies that few will pay attention to, but they’re still giving it all they’ve got, and that’s why we love them.

“The Unholy Trinity” will be in some theaters for a few showings before heading off to where, unfortunately, the real money is these days — the world of streaming.

“The Unholy Trinity” (C+) Rated R for violence, language and some sexual material. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, Brandon Lessard, Tim Daly and David Arquette. Directed by Richard Gray (“Murder at Yellowstone City” “Robert the Bruce”) – filmed in Paradise Valley, Livingston, Montana. Running time: 93 minutes.

The KSL Movie Show with Andy Farnsworth and Steve Salles airs Fridays on KSL NewsRadio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Follow the show on Facebook, and join The KSL Movie Show Club for exclusive perks by texting MOVIE to 57500. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel. Message frequency varies.