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Review by Susan Granger
1 star out of 4
As muddy and meandering as the Rio Grande, this 1940's
Western is the soggy saga of two buddies, Matt Damon and Henry Thomas
(the "E.T." kid, now grown up), who ride across the border from Texas
to Mexico to be real cowboys. Faithfully adapted by Ted Tally from
Cormac McCarthy's fascinating novel, the concept is never fully
realized by director Billy Bob Thornton. Instead, the pace is
confusing and uneven, nuances that define the characters are
under-developed, even the visual style is inconsistent. As the
episodic story unfolds, Damon and Thomas are joined on the trail by a
cocky kid, Lucas Black ("Sling Blade") who is obviously riding a
stolen horse and carrying a stolen gun. They suspect he's going to be
trouble - and he is. Then there's the seduction of Damon by Penelope
Cruz, the lusty daughter of the aristocratic Mexican, Ruben Blades,
who owns the sprawling horse ranch where they've secured jobs. Despite
a nocturnal swim under the stars, director Thornton even manages to
make their love scenes dull; at one point, they're stupidly commenting
about having something up their noses. Miriam Colon scores as Cruz's
aunt who's rightfully suspicious about Damon, this gringo who winds up
in a Mexican penitentiary, albeit on false charges. Then there's what
seems like an awkwardly added epilogue with Damon telling his tale of
woe to a sympathetic West Texas judge, played by Bruce Dern. On the
Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "All the Pretty Horses" is ponderous,
pretentious 3. Basically, none of the characters - except Miriam
Colon's - exude passion or even interest. The actors seem to be going
through the motions - and the audience senses it on an conscious or
unconscious level, refusing to make an emotional commitment to the
tale.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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out of 4
