All the Pretty Horses

Rating:
Summary: What's there is actually pretty darn good
Review: All right, this movie probably does not live up to the novel (which I haven't read), but then few films in the entire history of cinema have. Literature and film are two entirely different media, one printed and verbal and the other visual and verbal (since 1927, anyway). OK, so what I'm reviewing is what IS in the film, not what isn't. There are some pretty large gaps in the narrative, but what remains does make sense and the film is not the boring spectacle some have suggested. ...Now to the film: SLING BLADE this film is not, but then I think Billy Bob's earlier film is perhaps the best American film of the 1990s--at least one of the very finest. The central performances in PRETTY HORSES--those of Damon, Thomas and Black (a superb young actor favored by Thornton)--are excellent, but, as has been mentioned, Penelope Cruz is sadly lacking in thespian talents; she's there to add some human beauty to the incredible natural vistas captured by Billy Bob's Fordian widescreen compositions. Yes, the narrative has some problems, but visually this is one of the best-looking Westerns ever made. In recent years, directors have not, or perhaps have not known how to, fully utilize the 2.35:1 widescreen frame. What viewers usually get are television-like compositions sandwiched in the middle of the Cinemascope frame. Thornton uses the wide frame brilliantly, as did John Ford and, later, Sergio Leone. It is unfortunate that so much post-production editing was done to this film, but what remains is still a powerful and beautiful film. The subplot involving the Blevins character is hard-hitting and well-acted by the three principles. ...

Rating:
Summary: Shoot me in the face
Review: All the Pretty Horses is an excellent book by an excellent writer (Cormac McCarthy). It is also, incidentally, a wretched movie directed by an excellent director. The fact that critics all over America regard this piece of dog s--- as a masterpiece speaks only to our ignorance as spectators of American cinema.

Enough preaching. Time to 'touch the bottom of this swamp.' Billy Bob Thorton is a talented director, or at least is capable of creating competent films. (Sling Blade.) However, in this case, we see a film that is half born from Thorton's kitchen of over-confidence. Matt Damon is a rather harmless actor with little to bring to the table in the way of character acting. Penelope Cruz is flat out annoying. Never have I wanted to take a baseball bat to anyone's head'.. Her voice is liken to a pregnant cat giving birth, which is hurtfully unfair to pregnant cats all over this fine nation. The plot is fragmented to the point of being unrecognizable.

Bottom line: This 'film' is only half finished and may not have been worth finishing anyway. Low-brow movie-goers will be thrilled with this piece of trash, thinking they've just seen a piece of artwork simply because it seemed a little cerebral at times. The film doesn't make sense and is boring to boot. This doesn't mean it's artistic, folks, it means it sucks. If you want REAL art that will confuse and probably bore the hell out of you, rent Bringing Out The Dead. See how you do with that one. It's probably one of the deepest, most cerebral (and weird) movies ever made. If you want to rent a boring, confusing piece of retarded pig crap, rent All the Pretty Horses.

Rating:
Summary: Plenty of tension but I just didn't care
Review: Directed by Billy Bob Thorton, this is the story of two young Texans, played by Matt Damon and Henry Thomas, who, in 1949, cross the Mexican border on horseback in search of adventure. However, even though the plot is one of action, the film moved at a snail's pace, with too much dialogue and too many slow lingering shots of the Mexican landscape. Matt Damon's clothes were much too clean and well pressed for him to look like a real cowboy and his romance with the rancher's daughter never seemed believable. With the exception of Lucas Black, who plays a young troublemaker, the acting wasn't good enough to evoke much sympathy for the characters as they got in more and more trouble, and I found myself looking at my watch a lot just waiting for the video to end. There was plenty of tension but I just didn't care.

Rating:
Summary: Slingblade it isn't.
Review: Wow, this movie was lame. At first I thought it might be good because of the director and the actors, and the beginning of the movie wasn't that bad if you're not real big on good acting. Sometimes a movie doesn't have to have good acting to be a good movie, this movie does not have that luxury. The story was lame and predictable, except for one part of the movie that really surprised me in it's improbability.

The only reason that I watched most of this of this was because my girlfriend was awake and I wanted to seem interested in the movie for her. To give this movie it's due, the cinematography was good, but not good enough to keep me interested.

I wouldn't recommend this movie, seriously you guys.

Rating:
Summary: All the SLEEPING horses
Review: Wow! I was reading other Amazon reviews and it's difficult to believe this movie could be that bad. I've just rented it. This one is that bad. Billy Bob said he was making a film in the old style of filmmaking. I love that style.. and folks.. this isn't it! This film is just slow, snail paced story telling. Matt Damon and Henry Thomas are good in this, but their acting can't save it. The romance between Damon and Cruz is flat and not convincing. The use of slow motion and black fade outs at the end of scenes is done poorly and is annoying throughout. This is a real disappointment. A real snoozer!

Rating:
Summary: a ok romance movie
Review: For being a romance movie it was only so-so I expected much better. As an action movie it was pretty good and it was not to gorey or bloody which is good for me since I am a female and blood and guts is really not my thing. But as a drama is was really good and it went past my expectations with that. My avrege rating is 3 stars take it or leave it.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the Director's Cut?
Review: I have a prediction to make - if and when a director's cut of "All The Pretty Horses" makes it to either the big screen or DVD, it will be one of the greatest films you've ever seen. The film shown in theaters last year was cut severely from its intended running time because Miramax thought a shorter film meant more profit. They were wrong. The film tanked.

Billy Bob Thornton toiled for 2 years to complete this film. Matt Damon and others involved in the production say the complete, original cut (3 1/2 hours+) is one of the greatest films they've ever seen. Traces of that greatness are seen here. Often, just as it feels the film has caught its rhythm, it cuts to another, near-unrelated scene. A shame and a tragedy.

Here's what you do: Read McCarthy's novel. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. See this film: it has its moments. If you've read the book, I think it is easier to appreciate the truncated version. You can fill in the blanks and realize what could have been.

Lastly: hope there's a DVD with the full director's cut being released sometime soon. This film will have its day. It just might take a while to get there.

Rating:
Summary: All the Pretty ZZZZZZZZZ's
Review: In an interview on "Oprah", Matt Damon said he wished he could make "All the Pretty Horses" forever. To the audience, it almost seems like he did. The film is sort of like the Energizer Bunny -- it keeps going and going and going and going and just when you think it's going to end, something else (often incoherently) happens to extend the film another ten minutes. The running time may amount to roughly two hours, but it feels much longer.

I have not read Cormac McCarthy's novel on which the film is based, but I have seen enough film adaptations to know that the transition is not always smooth. However, I can't say who should take the blame, McCarthy or director Billy Bob Thornton, for the overlong plot or underdeveloped characters.

Technically a western, the plot is not so much incoherent as it is boring. Matt Damon and Henry Thomas play John Grady and Rawlings, two west Texas cowboys with nothing left at home, so they set off to Mexico, where a variety of complications ensue.

They meet a scrappy 16-year-old named Blevins (Lucas Black) along the way. He suggests that he did something bad to his abusive stepfather, and John Grady and Rawlins know that the beautiful horse he's riding can't be his. But the audience never really finds out much more. Polite people would say it adds to his mystery. In reality, Blevins's character, like nearly every other character, is a victim of over-editing.

After his horse runs off in a thunderstorm, John Grady and Rawlins help Blevins steal it back, something that comes back to haunt them. They eventually end up working on a Mexican ranch. John Grady meets the ranchers beautiful daughter Alejandra (played flatly by a boring Penelope Cruz) and decides he's fallen in love with her. Basically, the relationship consists of John Grady ogling Alejandra like a piece of meat while Alejandra looks coyly at him. You don't believe him at all when he tells her, "I'll love you till the day I die," and Cruz turns what didn't have to be a thankless role into that of "the love interest".

Thankfully, John Grady and Rawlins are hauled off to a Mexican prison for aiding Blevins in stealing his horse before we're subjected to any more of the alleged lovers mooning over each other. Grady and Rawlins meet up with Blevins again, who this time is accused of murdering three people. I suppose I shouldn't give away the end, so you'll just have to find out what happens for yourself, if you manage to stay awake that long.

This film seems to be a victim of too much editing and too little characterization. The actors show a great deal of potential, but they are never given the chance to develop their characters into something interesting and worthwhile, so you ultimately do not care about them. Furthermore, the plot is so full of holes that it obliterates any chance for consistency.

Director Billy Bob Thornton has shown his ability to make offbeat, original films in the past, but he doesn't really show anything special in this film. Perhaps a director's cut will reveal something new.

To its credit, the cinematography is absolutely beautiful and the spare yet poignant soundtrack fits the setting extremely well. It is unfortunate that the other elements (acting, directing, writing) could not be incorporated into what could have been a decent film.

Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: This movie was so boring. It left me with unanswered questions, probably because they cut out scenes. Where they filmed this movie, the scenery was beautiful but thats pretty much it.

Rating:
Summary: Man....that was some bad directing!
Review: We already know Matt Damon cant act so that's a given, but Billy Bob Thorton's direction with this movie is simply horrible. The cut scenes and the glowing faces were just overkill on top of a bad storyline. Save your money and pass on this one.