Espiritu Salvaje (All the Pretty Horses)

Buy This Item Espiritu Salvaje (All the Pretty Horses) by Sony Pictures  Available from Amazon  $17.99  on 11-16-2008     Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel, <I>All the Pretty Horses</I> cries for epic length but runs only 112 minutes for theatrical release. Drastically shortened during a lengthy stretch between production and release, this operatic drama feels as if huge chunks are missing, and what remains are fragments of a masterpiece that might have been. Unless a more definitive version is revealed, we must settle for this faint echo of McCarthy's ambitious narrative, in which dispossessed Texas rancher John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) ventures to Mexico in 1949 to revive his fading dreams of cowboy glory. With best friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), Cole's odyssey takes him from youthful idealism to rugged, often horrific, and ultimately ennobling tests of integrity.<p> Much of Cole's ordeal is sparked by his forbidden love for Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), the beautiful daughter of his Mexican employer, whose family honor is threatened by their mutual attraction. A gunslinging teenager (Lucas Black) casts a black cloud over them all, and <I>All the Pretty Horses</I> becomes a test of Cole's ability to navigate a labyrinth of distorted truth, imprisonment, and hard-fought redemption. All of which begs for emotional depth and carefully developed characters, but this truncated film lacks both. Scenes jump from one to the next with obvious gaps between them, lending no opportunity for emotional investment. It's clear that director Billy Bob Thornton is attempting to redefine the Western, and the effort is laudable on many points, notably in its perfect match of visuals and a flavorful musical score. There's much to admire in this film, making its shortcomings all the more lamentable. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I> Reader Reviews I loved this movie. It's beautiful written, acted and shot. The scenes are slow-paced, but for strength of character, it doesn't get any better than this. If you're expecting Unforgiven, this isn't it. This is a small drama about a young boy with integrity out in search of himself. Yes, it could probably benefit by adding some of the girth it lost on the cutting room floor, but those reviewers that didn't like it simply didn't understand the story Billy Bob was trying to tell. After seeing THERE WILL BE BLOOD this month, it's astonishing to me that critics can rave over a story that has no plot, no themes, no empathatic protagonist, and yet rank it over a film like ALL THE PRETTY HORSES. For real drama about real people, check this one out. You won't be disappointed.

Espiritu Salvaje (All the Pretty Horses) Available from Amazon Price: $17.99 Updated on 11-16-2008.

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