by Andy (film-critic) (Bookseller of the Blue Ridge) – (2)

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.

by Andy (film-critic) (Bookseller of the Blue Ridge) – (fin)

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 *****

Unreleased Potential

Author: Jonathan Ley from Edinburgh, Scotland
3 November 2004

Cormac McCarthy's novel, All The Pretty Horses, the first part of his breath-taking Border Trilogy, is one of the most perfect source materials ever written. Add to this the impressive line-up of talent (Ted Tally adapting, Thornton directing, Matt Damon, back when he was a hot property the first time around, starring) assembled for the film version and it's fair to say my expectations were raised sky high. When the film came out it was buried by the distributor. I managed to catch it in the one week it played at a single cinema in Edinburgh and I would be lying if I didn't admit that the whole experience was a crushing disappointment. It wasn't that the film makers had ballsed the whole thing up, no it was much more frustrating than that. You could tell that somewhere in that film there was a masterpiece straining to get out. Individual sequences impressed but the whole thing moved at such a frenzied pace that the main characters' journey, a true rite of passage in the novel, had become damagingly truncated.

The result was underwhelming but at the same time as been annoyed at the film I could tell it wasn't the film makers' fault. It was all too apparent that this was a great film that had had it's guts, it's heart, it's very essence, chopped out of it by a greedy distributor trying to market the film as some kind of Titanic / Young Guns cross over. Guess what, this movie was never going to appeal to the teeny boppers. If only the studio could have realized that and been true to the property they acquired in the first place. My suspicions were confirmed recently when I read an article wherein Matt Damon, a fine actor despite the criticism, claimed that Billy Bob Thornton's integral cut of the movie is the best he's ever been involved in. I don't know about you but that makes me want to see it. Apparently the studio are willing to release this extended cut on DVD (all revenue streams reach the ocean eventually) but Thornton won't settle for anything less than a full cinematic re-release. I can't say I blame him, I get the impression his film deserves at least that much. So for now I can't recommend this film, check out the novel instead and then the rest of Cormac McCarthy's back catalogue. But let's hope that in the not too distant future this film finally gets the treatment I suspect it deserves.

HCrafted like a fine-tooled saddle

Author: John Williams from San Diego
8 February 2003

This is a hard film to pin down...given the spoon-fed plots we've all been conditioned to follow. It's sold as a love story, but that's one small bend in the film's long, dusty road. If I had to classify it in conventional terms, I'd put it somewhere between "coming of age" and an "american odyssey." It's spread out and slowly told--that's the nature of the subject. But to hell with all that.

I love this film. It's haunting. It's like putting on your favorite old pair of dusty old boots with their third soles and fifth heels, and kicking your feet up onto a hitching rail while you're waiting for the day to cool off. This is the story of John Grady Cole's serious loss of innocence. He is a stoic, simple, gentle, moral, responsible, sensible, well-mannered young Texan dropped into some extreme circumstances where his character is tested and proven.

The crafting of the film appears to be a direct extension of his character. From Barry Markowitz' big-sky, muted-color, wide-open, slowly-moving cinematography, Clark Hunter's simple yet brilliant production design, to Sally Menke's minimalist editing, all elements of this film combine to reflect the purity, simplicity and grace of it's protagonist. The create a purely american western MOOD, and I love the way this film feels when I watch it.

I love Matt Damon's Texas drawl. Hell, I love EVERYONE'S Texas drawl in this film. I love the unspoken, little-expressed love between his character and Henry Thomas' character, Lacy Rawlins. I love Lucas Black's rough-edged teenager in big trouble, and how he desperately reverts to his recently-lost childhood when he's being dragged off to certain death. I love how Billy Bob Thornton takes his time telling this tale...that's the way his main characters approach everything...patiently.

I love seeing two friends riding together toward who-knows-what in the middle of a vast wilderness. I love how even when John Grady Cole is enraged, he's still polite and rational. I just love the RICHNESS of this film--you can TASTE the cider when these guys pull over to buy a drink. You can TASTE the beans they eat in prison. You can SMELL the dust and the sage everywhere. You can FEEL how sore they are after 4 days of breaking horses. I even love the way "John Grady Cole" sounds when they say it. I'm trying to put my finger on it, but I can't...this film's like a glass of wonderful wine you weren't expecting.

But I saved the best for last: the most magnificent thing about "All the Pretty Horses," the force that binds all the rich, disparate pleasures of watching this film together, and expresses the subdued, pure emotions of it's protagonist, is Marty Stuart's exquisite score. It's warm like old wood and worn leather...it's part mariachi, part spanish, part classic western film score, part bluegrass, but it is PERFECT FOR THIS FILM. It's constructed entirely around a simple, graceful phrase on a spanish guitar (obviously a representation of the contents of John Grady Cole's pure Texas heart) I'm not even going to try to express any more about how great I think it is...I'll just get more frustrated than I already am. Needless to say, I listen to it again and again and again.

I just happen to love this movie. I'm more surprised than anyone else. I guess you could say, "I'm plum stuck on it--and I don't give too hoots in a holler what the rest of y'all might think about it neither."

Excellent Storytelling, Beautifully Filmed

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from United States
25 October 2006

This is an excellent, epic western saga about two Texans who wind up in Mexico and all the trials and tribulations they go through, most of which are fascinating. I've watched this film several times and it gets better and better with each viewing. The acting, storytelling and magnificent photography all made it a treasure of a film....and a very underrated movie. It's easy to get very involved in this haunting tale.

Those two lead guys are played by Matt Damon ("John Grady Cole") and Henry Thomas ("Lacey Rawlins.") Along the way they are joined by the most interesting character of all of them: "Jimmy Blevins," played by Lucas Black. Jimmy is a nice kid but he's big-time trouble. His haunting face in his last scene is memorable.

Penelope Cruz is the attractive love interest, surrounded by a protective Mexican family. That family, mainly a father and aunt, were really enjoyable to watch, too, and I wish they had bigger roles in here. Not only is the acting good and photography stunning, the soundtrack with Spanish music is outstanding. I've read they actually filmed this for a four- hour movie. Man, I'd love to see that.

The only things I didn't care for were Thomas' blasphemous mouth and a couple of unpleasant scenes where the innocent lead characters are accused of things they didn't do and suffer because of it. This really isn't an action movie, but much more of a drama and it's excellent storytelling. It also has narration from Damon, who is good at that sort of thing.It's just a powerful movie with a lot of good things to offer. If you like good stories, don't pass this up.