Release Date:
Monday, December 25, 2000
First of all, Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz are supposed to be, like, 16 years old in All the Pretty Horses. Yeah, we know. And thats not even the worst blunder in this movie. Horses suffers from Novel-To-Movie syndrome: If you take a 300-page story and chop it down to two hours, a lot of what happens isnt going to make a hell of a lot of sense. Horses is like a trailer for the book; it shows you a few of the novels famous scenes, but doesnt really tell you anything about the story.
What we could figure out is that Damon plays a young cowboy who sets off to Mexico with the kid from E.T., falls in love with Cruz, and ends up in prison. Thats about all the explanation the movie offers, and thats all we got out of it. You know its bad when characters have to tell each other whats going on, cause the movie sure as hell isnt covering any of it. Although Cruz is gorgeous to look at, her characters about as well-drawn as the last few Peanuts strips Charles Schultz banged out. And Damons noble-guy schtick is running thin, but at least hes not playing another troubled genius. Director Billy Bob Thornton hasnt been behind the camera since Sling Blade, and it shows. Its two hours fizzles out to a vague and pointless ending that makes you think scanning the cutting room floor might have made for more substantial entertainment.
What we could figure out is that Damon plays a young cowboy who sets off to Mexico with the kid from E.T., falls in love with Cruz, and ends up in prison. Thats about all the explanation the movie offers, and thats all we got out of it. You know its bad when characters have to tell each other whats going on, cause the movie sure as hell isnt covering any of it. Although Cruz is gorgeous to look at, her characters about as well-drawn as the last few Peanuts strips Charles Schultz banged out. And Damons noble-guy schtick is running thin, but at least hes not playing another troubled genius. Director Billy Bob Thornton hasnt been behind the camera since Sling Blade, and it shows. Its two hours fizzles out to a vague and pointless ending that makes you think scanning the cutting room floor might have made for more substantial entertainment.