classicsoncall I can't even imagine what the title of this movie is supposed to represent. It sounds cool and all, and I thought perhaps that one or more of the characters might have been named Bodie, as opposed to a reference to 'bodies', but that wasn't the case either. What you have here is a meandering story of an outlaw (Casey Affleck) who's jailed following a robbery and shootout against the local authorities of Meridian, Texas. He takes the rap for his pregnant girlfriend (Rooney Mara) non-fatally shooting a deputy, spending the next four years in prison, but always with the intention of returning to her and the daughter he's never seen. It's a fairly good premise for a story, but there never seems to be the kind of dramatic tension one would expect in a film like this. With Bob Muldoon's (Affleck) escape from prison, a trio of ostensible bounty hunters wind up in pursuit, though it's unclear where their affiliation lies. They're all dispatched rather handily in separate confrontations with Bob and deputy Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster), and so ends that threat, except for the fact that Muldoon himself is fatally wounded and near death when he's eventually reunited with his girl Ruth (Mara). I suspect the viewer is supposed to contemplate the dynamic introduced between deputy Wheeler and Ruth Guthrie as potentially embracing a relationship, while the presence of Keith Carradine's character Skerritt introduces an unknown question mark into the story, as we never really know what compels him to be so protective of Ruth and her child. It's all a bit of a puzzlement, not entirely bad mind you, but enough to make you quickly forget a film that's not as memorable as it's title.

johnnyjeremymusic-56956 This film begins with a good premise. In the past a filmmaker like Billy Wilder or an actor like Gary Cooper or Lee Remick could make us care about this film. A good writer would also be able to flesh out the details a bit better, but the premise is a good one.And yet, on screen It is hard not to think that I'm looking at flakey people I meet at a trendy downtown bar who listen to trendy music and drink trendy beer. You know, arrested development types who squander the life force of themselves and others; who have no capacity for self-awareness, who only exist. I just didn't see any depth, any character, any conviction which could suspend my disbelief long enough. The style of this film offered nothing other than a showcase for cinematography; and even there the trendy soundtrack and lighting made the entire effort appear to be nothing more than self-indulgence. It was as though the filmmakers made this for the sole purpose of being able to tell their friends, "hey look at what I did" - and the cinematography is its best quality!The soundtrack, the story, and most importantly the monologues are hollow efforts; self-indulgence writ large. The monologues, mercy the monologues! There's no acting in this film. It's a solipsistic exercise. A series of monologues which keep the film plodding from one scene to another. This is a film nihilists put out who cannot fake their lack of empathy even for their own writing and their own characters.The stars are only given for the technical effort. This is a soulless film.

Jazzy31133 I find the movie reviews the most helpful when they focus on whether or not the movie delivers on its promise. American pie is obviously not in the same class as the Godfather using any metric you want. However, both movies deliver on what they promise and in my mind would bother garner an A rating. The Godfather promises to be a crime epic. It has a great story, superb acting and is one of the best crime movies ever made.American Pie marketed itself as a raunchy, teen comedy that would make you laugh. And it delivered. Does Ain't Them Bodies Saints deliver on being an indie crime drama? Well, my answer is yes and no.When you decide to spend your time watching an indie movie in this genre you are expecting raw acting, a tight script and realistic violence to make up for the lack of big budget action. These movies like showing the aftermath of a big battle as opposed to the big fireworks and explosions of the big battle. They promise to focus more on the plot and character and cinematography and less on trappings of large spectacles. This movie does have strong acting. Rooney and Ben do a great job respectively.Casey seems a little aloof, but that may have been because his character was a little reserved and understated. None of the supporting cast made much of an impact on me, but none were bad enough to distract me either. The action was not as much as I would have liked, but for an indie drama I thought it was enough. There was nothing the movie did very poorly, but unfortunately there was nothing it did amazing either. It promised to be a story about two lovers who decided to commit a crime and the aftermath of their actions. There are no crazy twists, no gratuitous violence and no silly plot holes. But there were also no memorable scenes, intense action sequences or ingenious plot set ups.When I was younger I would get frustrated watching movies like this. Where the movie seems to just tell a story without a huge reveal or unexpected turn. Without a creative set up or elaborate trick. As I have gotten older, I have learned to become more appreciate of great acting and dialogue. Just because the story is simple and straightforward, does not mean it is not worth watching. However, if a crime is going to be part of the plot and trailer, there should be some more violence or just a slight twist or violent ending.Did you enjoy No Country for Old Men or Into the Furnace? Both movie had a crime element and just told a story, albeit with great acting performances. But there were no twists and the action sequences were understated. Ain't Them Bodies Saints would classify as these films' younger brother. I would recommend if you were in the mood for a solid, well acted but ultimately forgettable indie drama.

SnoopyStyle Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) are a couple caught in a shootout with law enforcement. Ruth shoots a police officer and Bob takes the blame. Bob is in prison while Ruth is raising their daughter that he's never met. After many attempts, he finally succeeds in an escape. Police officer Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster) keeps snooping around to no avail. Skerritt (Keith Carradine) is taking care of her and the kid but tells Bob to leave them alone.This is slow. It's extremely slow. It excruciatingly slow. The most intensity in the first hour comes when he carjacks a woman. Nothing really happens and it's probably 30 seconds. This is about the beautiful decaying sparse life. It's meditative. It doesn't even give the actors much to do with any expressive acting. Writer/director David Lowery is channeling Terrence Malick in style and visuals. It's got a good look but it is lacking in story. There is little tension and it goes nowhere for stretches that are far too long. It saves a lot of it for the last act but it needed the excitement earlier on.