Cowboys & Aliens Film Analysis

Camera Angles:
The opening began with a panning establishing shot of the landscape, at the end of this pan the main characters face entered the frame from below, this was very effective as the action started in such an abrupt motion.  
The camera moves with the eye line of the character, the movements were smooth and created a trance-like effect, this is used in conjunction with the idea that the main character has lost his memory and is still able to defeat his opponents is a very skilled and practiced manner.
The use of wide angles and matte shots reinforced the idea of the lone ranger, the space around the main character is filled with barren, desert landscapes, this is again an effect that is used to portray the character as being alone and broken, as he cannot remember his life, or the woman in the photograph in his pocket, which is highlighted using a POV shot from Daniel Craig's perspective.

Sound:
The most effective use of sound would be the folly used to enhance the gunshots, doors, footsteps and alien technology.  As the film is a Mystery Sci-fi the folly is used to reinforce the idea that this is a fictional event.
I also noticed that the soundtrack that was played throughout the film did not include any vocals, this is because vocals would distract the viewer from the events taking place in the film.When the different characters are speaking you can identify their different diegesis in their tone and accent, for example Daniel Craig's character spoke calmly, with more fluid tone to his voice, he spoke in a sensible manner, this showed that his character was from out of town and that he is wiser than other characters.

Mise-en-scene:
The costume design has been specifically designed for the different social classes within the western town, we can see that although Daniel Craig's character does not work he still dresses in a sophisticated manner, compared to the local townspeople, we can also see that Craig's clothing is not much different from Harrison Ford's (who plays a wealthy land owner), from this we can see that they are similar characters and are good leaders.

Effects:
The most identifiable effects would be the pyrotechnics used throughout the film and also the post production CGI that is used when the aliens come in to contact with the humans. 
The use of 'action and effect' shots are key to this film, we see continuous events in several camera angles, a great example of this would be Daniel Craig's assassination on the rangers at the beginning of the film, very short and fast paced clips are put in a sequence that make logical sense even when different camera angles are used, the fluidity of the shots creates great continuity.

Plot:
The main plot to this film is that the audience have multiple questions as soon as they see the main character laying in the middle of the desert, the film starts with a sharp, intriguing introduction to the character.  Toward the middle of the film we are introduced to a new and significant character that kick-starts the action within the film, before this we are met by multiple encounters with the aliens which does not make sense until this significant character reveals her true identity.