It might be spare to a fault but it's moving and I did tear up at the end.

"The one thing I won't give up is giving up." "You give up the world line by line. You become an accomplice to your own annihilation." "Who would want this nightmare but for fear of the next?"

i could watch them for hours just talking about reason and belief, good stuff...

Stick with this one even though the slow pacing and aggravation may have you trying to do otherwise. Sometimes stellar perfomances and simple effective directing make this entertaining.

A one room movie that had some interesting conversation going on, weird ending... Sort of wish they went somewhere else rather than religion/atheism.

I was expecting a good drama, but i got a few cliches and some nice acting. I wish God wasn't discussed here.

I wasn't immediately blown away with this film, but the more I bounced around some of the dialogue in my head, the more I appreciated it. Some seriously great exchanges about the burden of knowledge! This was more than a religious struggle, and way more than the technicalities of the setting. I was also impressed with how engaging the film was for literally being a 90 minute discussion.

Jones and Jackson both give great performances. In a film that is all about delivery and screen presence they are masters feeding off each other. The writing is the kind where you can sense the writer guiding the two sides of the dispute and manipulating the ultimate flow, but that's not a criticism when it works as well as it does here. I love this kind of thing and the execution is great. The balance of the script is a bit off, and the ending abrupt, but it's not a big deal.

Cormac McCarthy's two-man play pits a suicidal cynic against a religious evangelist trying to save his soul. It's engaging, and quite elegantly directed by TLJ. Conjures up every conversation I've ever had with a religious dogmatist, ensuring my unequivocal support of the guy (TLJ) desperate to die. I don't think SLJ's character was intended to annoy me so much; TLJ was certainly patient with him. The ending avoids gimmickry and the film wins my recommendation, but it's no My Dinner With Andre.

Superb acting from Jones and Jackson, and writing by Cormac McCarthy that sinks its teeth into the big questions with some tremendous verbal gymnastics.

Fantastic acting and a fantastic script. It's a simple concept of two people in a room, talking, and really it couldn't be done any better. Jones and Jackson give some of their best performances, ever. I can't stress that enough: watching them was a treat. It's smart but emotional, even funny a few times. A movie about -- among other things -- belief, though I'd have to rewatch it to catch every single thought and view expressed, but really, they're both right in some ways.

I love me some dialogue/room films. The best of'em can make me participate on a level that I can't possibly get from good ol' identification vehicle. Unfortunately this is not one of them, it's simply loopy dialogue that most of us have already experienced.

Huh, o neydi oyle? İki insanın boylesine derin tartismasini izlemek normalde bayildigim bir durumdur fakat bu filmde diyaloglarin alt metinleri guclu oldugundan takibi yorucu oluyor. Temiz bir kafayla ve tarafsizca izlemeli. Sozun ozu: Tek mekanda gecen ve tamamen diyalog uzerine kurulu bir film. Babalardan oyunculuk dersi.

A battle of wits between a man of reason and a man of faith. I can hardly imagine better actors going at it. Good script, however, at the times I wasn't sure at what exactly they are trying to say. Probably I'm just too stupid. It was very captivating anyway.

The strength of this unique production is in how well TLJ and SLJ convey strong emotions within one of the more minimal sets you'll see in a film.

I'm living in a world of darkness.

“The shadow of the axe hangs over every joy. Every road ends in death. Or worse. Every friendship. Every love. Torment, betrayal, loss, suffering, pain, age, indignity, and hideous lingering illness. All with a single conclusion. For you and for every one and everything that you have chosen to care for. There's the true brotherhood. The true fellowship. And everyone is a member for life."

The over-intellectualized character of Tommy Lee and his southern savior and ex-jailbird Samuel L. partake in a coffee-shop like battle over the existence of God and the meaning of life. The overall result? The movie drags, lots of complaining, and a largely weak theological debate. However the twist in the last 30 mins is both humorously surreal and devastatingly truthful. Acting-wise, nothing shines aside from Samuel L.'s jailhouse story and Tommy Lee's megalomaniac diatribe in the finale.

script-awesomeness

Towards end was getting a bit on my nerves. Still it's quite amazing output from (only) two actors, mostly known for action roles.

Cormac McCarthy's dramatic debate explores the clash of faith and nihilism in the form of two old men--one suicidal, the other his attempted savior. There are stilted moments, especially when it tries to be colloquial, but it's a fascinating work nonetheless. Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson are simply brilliant in their roles, Jones worn out past the point of return, Jackson bursting with life and hope. They're a joy to watch. Jones directs smoothly; haunting score by Marco Beltrami.

These are some compelling questions.

As a depressed and isolated atheist, I found it frustrating how little I could identify with White. Every eloquent expression of life's inevitable death and despair merely sounded like shallow musings of a man who couldn't properly express his own true feelings. Despite this false depth of dialogue, the acting and pace of these two men's interactions kept me interested throughout.

Excellent.

The script and acting are exceptional. It's surprisingly fully engaging.

feels like a wisely chosen stage adaptation, but unlike most movies that offer little in way of plot or multiple sets, this one has one of the most entertaining hour and a half long conversations i've ever heard.

I'm already sure this is the best cinematic conversation of 2011. Awesome acting too.

A play that does not go well on the screen... TLJ is though, the saddest looking man in the world at times...

Very well acted, but the story requires a rerun. Unfortunately I have no forces to do it. This is very, very heavy thing. I liked especially Samuel L. Jackson's part though.

It's very open. It's like You can add many things to it, especially yourself. Liked the ending.

I've hated everything else I've seen of this Cormac McCarthy, but this one worked for me. It may be because these are nearly the same reasons that I want to kill myself. It may be because the acting was good and believable. Or both.