All the Pretty Horses had its entertaining moments with believable characters, but it failed to capture the book's nostalgic luster. For the most part, All the Pretty Horses followed the generally accepted rule that books are usually better than the movies that are made after them. While it at least followed the same general plot of the book, it also shortened nearly every major episode, which down played the depth and general tone of nearly every scene. Pivotal moments were built up to a crescendo in the book, whereas the movie tried to speed through John Grady's story in an limited amount of time.
Sitting at just about 2 hours long, the movie could have(and should have) been made longer to give each epic moment some gravity. In my opinion Billy Bob Thorton may have gotten a better response if he had not punctuated the most dramatic, raw, and realistic moments that the story had to offer in order to keep the movie at a popular time length.
However, it had a good western feel in relation to the scenery and landscape. The acting is good enough and does a decent job at character development. To someone who enjoys this genre and has not read the book, there is a good chance it will be enjoyed. This movie may not be entertaining to those who expect a realistic and rugged style of a western, such as McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. For others, the natural beauty and John Grady's character development makes All the Pretty Horses a memorable watch. Reading the book could make all the difference.
I have enjoyed a lot more westerns than this one, a lot more, but I would also probably keep watching it if I came across it on T.V. Go ahead and give it a watch. 5.75/10
Sitting at just about 2 hours long, the movie could have(and should have) been made longer to give each epic moment some gravity. In my opinion Billy Bob Thorton may have gotten a better response if he had not punctuated the most dramatic, raw, and realistic moments that the story had to offer in order to keep the movie at a popular time length.
However, it had a good western feel in relation to the scenery and landscape. The acting is good enough and does a decent job at character development. To someone who enjoys this genre and has not read the book, there is a good chance it will be enjoyed. This movie may not be entertaining to those who expect a realistic and rugged style of a western, such as McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. For others, the natural beauty and John Grady's character development makes All the Pretty Horses a memorable watch. Reading the book could make all the difference.
I have enjoyed a lot more westerns than this one, a lot more, but I would also probably keep watching it if I came across it on T.V. Go ahead and give it a watch. 5.75/10