La critique de James Berardinelli (2)
The movie opens in San Angelo, Texas during the late 1940s. John Grady Cole (Matt Damon), a rancher who has been turned off his property when his mother sells the land to an oil company, is headed south to Mexico. Accompanying him is his good friend, Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), who shares his passion for horses and the outdoors life. Near the Rio Grande, which marks the border, they are joined by young Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black, from Thornton's Sling Blade), who is riding a horse too good for his obviously impoverished background and evidences uncanny skill with a pistol.

Eventually, John and Lacey part ways with Jimmy, but not before he implicates them in a horse stealing raid. The two escape pursuit and find work on the ranch of Don Hector Rocha y Villareal (Ruben Blades), where their knowledge and easy-going manner make them well liked. But John mistakenly falls for Don Hector's daughter, Alejandra (Penélope Cruz), and, when word gets out, both Americans find themselves at the mercy of Mexican justice.