La critique de James Berardinelli (3)
At the emotional core of All the Pretty Horses is the relationship between John and Alejandra. As written, they are tragic lovers driven apart by prejudice and cultural taboos. Their enduring passion is supposed to provide the glue that holds the film together. Unfortunately, that glue is brittle and partially disintegrated. The love affair is handled in the same perfunctory fashion as everything else in the film - related in a bare bones manner that resists emotional involvement. In order for All the Pretty Horses to really work, we must have an investment in this relationship, but it is developed (and, ultimately, disposed of) so quickly and with so little romantic heat that it's difficult to care about these two star-crossed, doomed lovers.