Lone Star (1996)

Pretty Good

One of my all time favorites.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Great movie.Even better than expected. Billed as a murder-mystery, it is that, and more. The murder-mystery part is very original and intriguing, and you're kept guessing right to the end. Around this, writer-director John Sayles spins several human-drama stories, spanning 40 years, each of which deserve a movie of their own. Even the relationships side is not without intrigue, so the whole movie requires you to piece together the puzzle, like a good drama should.Superb performance by Chris Cooper in the lead role. How he didn't get an Oscar nomination, I don't know. Good support from Elizabeth Pena, Joe Morton and Kris Kristofferson. Matthew McConaughey's character, though crucial to the plot, has very little screen time. Minor appearance from Frances McDormand too.

When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.In much the same way "Crash" would handle Los Angeles racial issues almost a decade later, "Lone Star" seems less concerned with its plot and more concerned with its racial politics. There is white and black, and white and Hispanic. Being near the border, the issues are not just racial but national, too, and the film raises the question rather forcefully whether Texas should be seen as American or Mexican.Interestingly, what makes this more than a look at race, and therefore probably a better film than "Crash", is that it also brings in the matter of generations, especially fathers and sons. Through this we not only get a family dynamic, but see how race can change over the course of thirty years.

Great acting by Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Pena, Matthew McCounaghy, and Kris Krostofferson help make this movie into the fine viewing experience it is.Chris Cooper, playing Sam Deeds, is seeking to know how a skeleton found on a old firing range is connected to his late father, Buddy Deeds. Buddy is a legend in the Southwestern Texas town.The atmosphere with Mexicans, blacks, illegals, white townspeople all in the mix, is great. You feel like you are there experiencing the tensions and clash of cultures good and bad.The mystery builds and with it a fantastic love story with an unexpected plot twist.Highly recommended. John Sayles has created a masterpiece here.

I have seen three movies of John Sayles now with this one. For me Sayles definitely works better as a writer than a director. As a writer he knows what he wants , but as a director he fails to deliver it. I get what the movie is about , I understand it and I appreciate it. The problem is that the movie feels much like a long episode of some TV drama. It's not really a cinematic experience , the pacing could be better and the movie lacks style. I wasn't involved emotionally in the whole story for one moment. As a director Sayles kinda fails to put some meaning into the story , to make it something that will stay with you long after the movie is gone. Maybe he should allow somebody else to direct his screenplays ? It doesn't mean that I wasted my time on this one. The mystery about the past of our hero's father kept me interested. "Lone star" is a good drama about conflict between a child and it's parent , which appears here three times (Sam , Pilar and Delmore Payne – they all in conflict with one of their parents). The movie also quite well portrays the tension between the citizens of the city – white , black , Latin . The portrayal here seems very realistic and doesn't take any sides. It's fair look at the serious problem and allows you to make your own opinion.The acting is solid , especially Kris Kristofferson as the evil sheriff. The characters are likable. The screenplay has it's share of good humor and some nice twists near the end.The movie with a better direction and 30 minutes shorter (some subplots don't seem that necessary) could be a really great one. Still , it's a good movie. I give it 7/10.