Review of The Horse Whisperer (1998) by Mloy X — 25 Sep 2013

Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas): Don't they believe in signs around here?

Grace (Scarlett Johansson): What would they say? Ten miles to big rock. Twenty miles to bigger rock.

This was an alright film, Robert Redford was his usual dreamy self- his so cool and so relaxed way of acting makes him oh so very charming. The ensemble was marvelous and everyone performed so well: Dianne West, Chris Cooper and Sam Neill, but special props goes to Ty Hillman who played little Joe Booker-- he was a very convincing young ranch hand. It was also kind of cool seeing a young ScarJo and Kate Bosworth- I was like: "Damn, this movie is old." The story was kind of cool, tragic but I guess slightly inspiring-- about the girl and her horse and wise old sage (Redford) who heals them together: physically and spiritually, that part of the story arc I liked. I really didn't care about the romance between Tom (Redford) and Annie (Thomas) and it's not because the actors didn't have chemistry-- they had good chemistry but I just didn't care and I can't put my finger on it. I'm hoping the book is much better (odds are it is) but I liked Sam Neill's character's response to Annie's indiscretion-- he didn't putz-out and weep like a sissy, he didn't lose his temper and wail like a maniac nor was he petty and vindictive. He was calm, collected and mature and surprisingly rational that Robert McLean was my favorite character in the movie (next to Pilgrim-- that wonderfully loyal horse) because I had so much mad respect for him after that scene. Overall, this film was good to watch one time but I didn't really care for all the melodramatic, mid-life-crisis, soap-opera type plot.... just not my cup of tea, I guess.