Review of Tender Mercies (1983) by Alex G — 15 Jul 2012

Nothing that special or original about it, but with a wonderful performance by Robert Duvall, it's still worth watching. The ending was rather disappointing. I would've liked to see where else it could go.

I guess it was just too abrupt for my taste. Some of the scenes didn't really go anywhere, and sometimes the story was a bit rushed, such as the lack of development between Mac and Rosa Lee before they got married, but were still handled decently enough.

Unlike some movies of this particular vein, Tender Mercies didn't get bogged down too much by exposition and sappy melodramatic sequences. It just told the story, and was about as stripped down as Mac Sledge.

However, that style went both ways during the film. The soundtrack is good (even though I'm not a fan of country music), the cinematography was smooth, and of course, the performances are the film's strong suit.