(2000; English and some Spanish) Billy Bob Thornton directed this film, adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of lyrical violence, about two young Texas cowboys who discover both paradise and purgatory in Old Mexico. Landscape is the poetry of photography, violence the vernacular of western fiction: "Country lasts forever, people but for a little while."

Upon the death of Grandfather Cole in 1949, lawyer J.C. Franklin (Sam Shepard) explains to John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) that his mother (divorced from his father who deeded over all the property to her) has sole inheritance of the ranch outside San Angelo, Texas, and thus the right to sell it to an oil company. To John the ranch had been heaven on earth. With his compadre Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) he gallops across the Rio Grande into Mexico in hopes of finding work toward a fresh future.

In answer to Lacey's question if it's possible to have a heaven without a hell, John replies: "I guess you can believe what you want to." Maybe in Texas but not in Old Mexico.

Soon after the pair enter Mexico, they notice a kid on a fine horse following them. Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black) on what they suspect is a stolen mount - "He ain't as green as he looks either," says Lacey - with a big pistol and talent to use it, becomes the burr of a bad seed stuck to them.

Afraid of lightning during a thunderstorm, Jimmy, who says he's twice before been struck while others in his family were killed by lightning, chooses to sit in a gulley without most of his clothes. John and Lacey find him the next day without his horse, clothes, and gun.

Later in the day Jimmy spots his horse in someone's corral and his gun tucked in the owner's belt. Eager to recover his property, Jimmy at first heeds John and Lacey's advice to wait until dawn. Lacey says to John that dumb things are the result of bad choices. Suddenly Jimmy's in the corral and on his horse, leaping over the fence. In an effort to protect Jimmy from harm, the boys join in the fray. Out numbered the three ride off, Jimmy in one direction and the two young men in another.

Soon after John and Lacey find work on a huge cattle ranch - 27,000 acres owned by Don Hector de la Roche (Rubén Blades) - where they prove their mettle by breaking sixteen mustangs in four days. Recognizing talent, Don Hector offers John the task of helping in the breeding a criollo (an Argentine stallion) with mustang mares.

Not only does he have a knowledgeable eye for the prettiest horses, John can't help but notice Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), Don Hector's daughter. Her aunt, Señorita Alfonsa, sternly warns John to be considerate of Alejandra's reputation, such as being with her on the campo without a chaperone: "There's no forgiveness for women." But Alejandra will have none of her aunt's restrictions and goes to John's room. He tells her he doesn't want to cause trouble; she says: "You are in trouble."

Lacey again cautions his pardner. As soon as Alejandra is flown to be with her mother in Mexico City, John and Lacey find themselves arrested by the local police. John says: "You either stick or you quit. I wouldn't quit you." Lacey replies: "I never quit you." (Imagine the cowboy bonding in Brokeback Mountain without the homosexual theme.)

Inside the jail they find an old man and Jimmy, accused of murdering three men. During the interrogations, Lacey and then John discover they've become associated with Jimmy as his accomplices. Before John and Lacey are sent to the Saltillo penitentiary, the police captain affirms: "Everybody knows that God is not here."

In a surreal scene above the cliffs of the Rio Grande, Lacey asks Jimmy: "What's it like to be dead?" Jimmy answers: "It's like nothing at all." At the end John must face a judge (Bruce Dern) in the part of Saint Peter at the gates of heaven.

I've enjoyed every movie in which I've seen Matt Damon perform, though I haven't had the curiosity to watch any of the Ocean Eleven … Twelve … or Thirteen pictures. The only criticism I have of this film's realism is that, while John can converse in Spanish, too often the Mexican characters speak fluent English.

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Copyright © 2008 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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