All the Pretty Horses

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is such a fabulous movie. I saw it twice in the theaters and I can't wait untill it's out on video. Matt Damon shines and Lucas Black and Henry Thomas are phenomonal. A great movie for everyone!

Rating:
Summary: A really beautiful movie.
Review: Billy Bob Thornton is just going from streght to strength. All the Pretty Horses is just another nortch in his already extensive belt. His performance in 'A Simple Plan', his script for 'The Gift', his performance in 'Primary Colors', 'Sling Blade' and now this. Poetic film-making. And Penelope Cruz's beauty is unparallelled.

Rating:
Summary: Visually intoxicating slow burn ...
Review: Masterfully crafted adaptation of the novel. A coming of age "road trip" on horseback. This period piece set on the Texas / Mexico border of post World War II takes the viewer on a visually intoxicating slow burn of adventure, passion and danger. Fueled by the struggle between duty, loyalty and matters of the heart. Beautiful cinematography underscores warmth and charm of old Mexico as cultural and class differences play out. Powered by an enchanting Marty Stuart soundtrack. Thank you Billy Bob! (Give us MORE on the DVD release, and you'll get five stars!)

Rating:
Summary: Lost something in the translation
Review: I have to agree with other reviewers here--I was frankly disappointed with the movie. Not that it isn't entertaining; it is. It is also surprisingly faithful to the novel. What it lacks is the heart that the novel had. The novel is pure poetry. I agree that it seems to be a series of related vignettes, but there is no emotional depth to the movie. As I read the novel, I fell in love with John Grady Cole; even at 17, he was mature and had more integrity than most men twice his age. At the end of the book, I realized that I had witnessed the transition of a boy to a man. Idealistic at first, not even anticipating the types of hazards out in the real world away from home; later, a little world-weary but with integrity intact. The beauty of his transformation is just not realized in the film, perhaps because we were never allowed to become emotionally attached to John Grady, never allowed to see how absolutely *special* he was. The breaking of the horses was okay, but didn't capture the wonder of what was described in the book. It's been a while since I read the book, but it seems that he used a blanket or sack to rub all over the horse endlessly; as I recall, the horse was ready to ride by the time he put a saddle on it. It was a truly mystical experience in the book.

I don't know the ins and outs of the making of this movie, don't know what battles were fought and won or lost. I only know that the movie should have been longer, should have taken more time to introduce the main characters and make the audience really care about them, and see how utterly unique they were.

Rating:
Summary: Cruz and Damon do their best!
Review: A film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, two young men (Matt Damon and Henry Thomas) celebrate the recent ending of World War II by riding out of their native Texas into the wild west, meeting friends and fellow adventurers along the way. Once they reach Mexico, they become smitten with a young woman (Penelope Cruz) who is the daughter of a ranch owner. As foreboding clouds threaten their so-far sunny skies, the men throw themselves headlong into danger.

Rating:
Summary: All the pretty possibilities....
Review: Okay, so maybe I overanticipated this one. Maybe it was inevitable that studio constraints and a saturated Christmas market would ruin this film's chances of becoming the masterpiece it could (and should) have been. But since the core audience of *All the Pretty Horses* are McCarthy readers (and they are legion), it is inevitable that judgements will turn on how well Billy Bob Thornton did justice to Mac's epic novel.

Clearly, there are scenes so perfectly wrought the McCarthy enthusiast will, as I did, stiffen in their seat with jolts of readerly *deja vu* (the Blevins wallet-shooting scene, segments of the arrest and penitentiary sequence, the beautiful montage of Cole and Rawlins successfully breaking sixteen colts in four days, not to mention the exhilarating Tex-Mex town, ranch, and desert landscape shots). But whether through studio pressure or directorial self-doubt, the final cut seems so rushed and haphazard as to lose most of what McCarthy originally gave us. The gut-churning suspense, the depth of characterization, the breadth of emotional investment in these characters is truncated to the point of near-travesty. This should have been a three-hour film (I'm already anticipating the DVD director's edition). I can't imagine the "virgin" viewer, unfamiliar with the book, being much taken in by the characters or the patchwork narrative, which comes on in a blurred jumble of (for the most part) static and disaffected scenes. I remember thinking in the theater that the projectionist may have skipped a reel, missed a changeover, did *something* that might excuse the amphetaminized hyper-pacing of Thornton's effort.

Of course, we're all rather sick of Matt Damon by now, but I can't think of a better candidate for John Grady Cole (thank heavens Brad Pitt was denied the part), although it was rather puzzling to see him remain so cleanshaven throughout his a) desert travels, b) incarceration, c) hospitalization, d) cross-country kidnapping. And Lucas Black (the kid from *Sling Blade*) is a deadeye for "the assassin Blevins," probably my favorite character from the novel. Henry Thomas slips so convincingly into his role as rustic sidekick Lacy Rawlins (did he gain weight for the part?) that I didn't recognize him until halfway through the film! And every minor role in this film was perfectly cast, with special regards for the Mexican police captain, whose gloating and charismatic performance brilliantly did *not* go over the top.

I take issue, however, with Penelope Cruz as Alejandra. While physically perfect for the role, her formidable acting ability wasn't enough to dissemble her real-life persona as (how can I put this lightly?) something of a ditzy, sugarcoated airhead. The Alejandra of the original text was a prep-schooled lady of subtle grace and intelligence, not some prettified Latin-Hollywood waif plucked off the supermodel runway. Still, for viewers unprejudiced by the novel (there's a great scene where she becomes so emotional a line of mucus drips distractingly from her right nostril (as a specialist in this subgenre of film history, it is one of more distinguished cinematic bugars I've seen in years. Penelope, thou art redeemed!)), her performance is dignified and convincing, and doesn't miss a trick dramatically, even in the strangled confines of a disastrous final cut.

I hate to say it, but I rather wish this movie was never made. It's not going to help anyone, whether financially (I attended the Christmas "premiere" with about twelve other people in the stadium-seating, mostly teenybopper Matt Damon fans) or otherwise. And I don't want to blame Billy Bob, whose overwhelming passion and dedication to this project shines through all the Hollywood market-wrangling that threw a wrench into the editing-room's machination.

I mean, doesn't anyone remember *Dances With Wolves*? It *is* possible to get a mass audience interested in a 3-hour epic Western. But then maybe the studio system is afraid of unleashing another Kevin Costner on us.... Oh Billy Bob, where art thou?

Rating:
Summary: A sleeper
Review: Not only did I like the movie, it introduced me to a great writer, Cormac McCarthy. Cormac McCarthy is a modern realist, my American Lit class first brought my attention to this author and the happenstance of picking this movie off the shelf brought a screenplay based on his book to my viewing "pleasure." It's an interesting movie, some call it a typical picture, but I was taken in and thought the story superb. Get past the negativity of the reviews here and see it for yourself. Comac McCarthy deserves recognition for his craft. Matt Damon did a respectable job in the effort and Penelope Cruz (Correlli's Mandolin) put her on my radar screen. I liked it, what more can I say. Oh by the way, I thought this was going to be a "horsey movie" not a tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: Ouch
Review: I have watched this movie somehow from the beginning to the very end and I have only one comment about it : It was an extremely boring movie that told the story of two young men checking the depths of an unknown river with both legs - by going to Mexico.

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: You ain't never been struck by lightning.
Review: I don't think I will ever understand the disappointing backlash against this film. What I witnessed was not your typical "western" film full of passionate love and implausible events. Instead, what I saw was beautifully captured images, powerful acting by Damon and Thomas, a story that twisted further down a darkened rabbit hole than I was expecting, and this challenging character study that gave us a brief insight to a world that will never be seen by our eyes again. This was not the romantic film that it was marketed as, this was not the adventure that it was marketed as, but instead it was the story of one character and the tribulations that effect him on his journey into the real world. It is the story of a very compassionate man that sees the honest darkness of those around him and must face the consequences of his actions. It showcases amazing acting that may be a bit disturbing for the unfamiliar eye, but to me was nothing short of brilliant. Billy Bob successfully adapted the story from the page, but it was not the film that he wanted. Miramax butchered this film in the marketing aspect, which ultimately hurt it overall. I will never understand why this did not receive the praise it should have, but will never be ashamed to bring it out for friends and family to enjoy. This film was like finding a dollar in the couch, an unexpected surprise that keeps a smile on your face the rest of the day.

I have read several reviews that just completely dismantle Damon's acting in this film. While his accent does fade in and out randomly, it is the way that he carries himself and reacts to the situations that unfold before him that really showcase the true acting ability of this star. While I do not think that Bennifer has made the best choices to challenge his career, Damon continually proves that he has the ability to be a force in Hollywood. This film alone proves it. He built this beautiful chemistry between him and Cruz that teetered on fear and sorrow. He showed his compassion towards Blevins and Lacey continually throughout the film showing that his idea of friendship was stronger than anyone expected. His strength and will shined brightly when he was ultimately faced with death. These are all moments where other actors would have cheapened it up and tried to fake the audience instead of showing the truth. I thought Damon showed us honesty, he showed us a part of him that I was not expecting. If you couldn't tell already, he really impressed me. But yet so did everyone else in this film. I honestly thought that the kid from Sling Blade, Lucas Black, would never work again, and I was skeptical of him in this film, but he was exceptional. He took us away from his character in Sling Blade and built a whole new name for himself. He took the challenges of this character and pushed them out of the television. The same can be said for Henry Thomas that continues to impress me with his ability to capture his moments and make them so real. Finally, Billy Bob did a great job of casting the rest of this film to bring the images and feelings of the time period to light. I could feel the dusty world of Texas and Mexico through the smaller characters that he cast.

Speaking of Billy Bob, could we not agree that these actors wouldn't have been half as good if it were not for the amazing direction behind the camera. I wish that I could have seen his version of the film instead of the choppy Miramax version. He has a very gifted eye, and while sometimes he takes roles that I think blur that eye, he always seems to rebound with a very riveting performance. He is constantly experimenting with genres and styles, and this film shows that he can break traditional boundaries. The images that he captured on film help create this darkness that surrounded our main characters. The scene with the thunderstorm I thought was beautiful, as was the rolling Mexican landscape. He places us into the film as more than just observers, and that is a sign of a great director.

Finally, I would like to pose the question of why Grady was so infatuated with Blevins? There were several moments during the film where he could have simply walked away from the boy, and Lacey even suggested it continually, but they always stayed with him. I realize that a main reason may be to develop the plot, but I think there was a more symbolic meaning. I feel that Damon connected with the boy because they had a kindred spirit. Damon was this passive, controlled character that never really understood himself until later on in the film, while Blevins was this wild-hair that never controlled himself or thought about his decisions. It was as if they were polar opposites, but yet they were perfectly matched. I think Damon liked him because it was what he aspired to be. I sometimes felt that the secondary characters were not real, and sometimes they were just imaginary images of what Damon wanted himself to be more like. This thought created a much darker picture for me that forced this film to go deeper into my mind and be more enjoyable than I thought.

Overall, I really liked this film. While others will definitely disagree, I thought that the acting, story, and especially the direction deserved more attention that what was handed to it.

Grade: ***** out of *****