Cormac McCarthy's All The Pretty Horses was one of the most influential American books when it came out in 1992 for the 90's, much like Pulp Fiction was for film. The book captured audiences with it's description and gripping story that was familiar McCarthy, but at the same time, seemed to be it's own seperate entity, much like the other books in the Border Trilogy. Truly, a masterpiece to be remembered in American Literature for years. So let's make a movie about it and throw in Matt Damon.

Matt Damon seems terribly miscast in this movie. It moves from plot point to plot point without letting any of the scenes breathe. Crucial bits from the book like the aunt's motivation to protect her daughter are missing and the sheer brutality of the prison are downplayed in this adaptation. Really beautiful scenery and decent direction though.

Surprisingly tedious drama that launched my personal Penelope Cruz hate parade (ended with Volver). Weird little bits of potential shine through here and there, but I found myself wishing I could watch "Horses Are Pretty" by IFC's 6-year-old "Christie" instead.

Good ending. Marriage to a woman made impossible by an oathe.

The whole thing seemed sort of paint by numbers, illustrating all of the descriptions from the book, but carrying none of the subtext or depth. Not a bad movie, but a lot of high expectations based on the source material.

Convoluted and slow, but good ending.

Frustrating film starts off well, but squanders its many great, powerful moments (and wonderful wide-screen cinematography) on a narrative that fires off in all directions, and can't decide if it is a drama, romance, thriller, prison-movie, Butch Cassidy clone etc. Presumenably this narrative worked better on McCarthy's page, but the film still has something going for it; Thomas and Black are both excellent, and Damon is extraordinary.

Miramax fucked this movie up by trying to turn it into Titanic. There's a great movie buried somewhere in here but you have to squint to see it through the translucent coating of forced formula and choppy editing.

I am a big fan of the book but this movie seemed poorly paced, sloppily edited, and incomplete. I've heard that the studio forced Thorton to edit it down to its current state, so it might be that the real version of the film, the version that does the book justice, is out there somewhere. Penelope Cruz is, as usual, a black hole in an otherwise nicely cast movie.

Not much here, really

Pretty and artistic...that's about it

it talks about a man with a very pure heart.it's a magnificent movie. pure drama

This is okay. The sharp moral character & characters are pretty interesting, the sweeping vistas are stunning yet the loose construction does little to propel the story. The romance is fair, i suppose it's really Matt's not really breathing any life into his character that makes it seem flat. An art western.

plodding.