I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

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.

We watched this to the end for some reason, except for "wake up" to each other, and then both asked "why?"Mumbly dialog and horrible photography, unless you want to look at a nicely-lit lamp in a dark room with an outline of somebody with no visible face, or properly exposed car headlights and invisible drivers and dark blobs moving around for for about 3/4 of the movie. A better photographer could imply "dark" or "dreary" while keeping visible things which are more interesting than a lamp or car headlights. Anyway, the criminal gets shot and I guess finally dies at the end, like he should.

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.

Greetings again from the darkness. Finally catching up with this one after it received such critical raves on the festival circuit last year. It's one of those films that cause so many "normal" movie goers to question the tastes of critics. It certainly has the look and feel of a terrific independent art-house film, but as they say, looks can be deceiving.The cast is outstanding and play off each other and the setting exceedingly well. Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster and Keith Carradine are a pleasure to watch ... they make it easy to KNOW these characters. Daniel Hart's score is the perfect balance of haunting and complimentary - understated at its best. The most exceptional thing of all is the cinematography of Bradford Young. The look of the film is right there with the best of Terrence Malick ... and that amplifies the film's biggest problem. The story is highly recollective of Malick's Badlands, and that's where the shortcomings jump out. There is just not much substance to this story.Writer/director David Lowery is a definite talent, but his dependency on look and feel prevent this one from reaching greatness. We recognize immediately that this can't end well. The only question is how badly will it get for each of the main characters. Crime may not pay, but some criminals just seem to keep paying ... and drag down others with them. For those that enjoy the indies, this is one to catch up with ... and filmmaker David Lowery's best work is still ahead of him.