I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I saw it many years ago but so many of the scenes still resonate with me. Most of all I remember the stunning finale with Chris Cooper and Elizabeth Peña. Chris Cooper deserved an Oscar for that scene alone, it was so powerful yet so sensitive. Great acting of the kind you see so rarely in films these days.

Remember when mainstream movies came out and there could be a movie that was primarily for the adults in the room? John Sayles is a filmmaker who appeals to people who like dramas that don't talk down, and don't get into major hysterics in melodrama. This kind of approach to characters and situations that develop naturally, intrigue in a real world where, in the case of Lone Star especially, racism is institutionalized even when it isn't spoken of and history repeats itself in subtle ways, and it may not be for those expecting big action or showdowns with lots of violence. In fact one of the only misleading things about the movie is the poster, which, when I was younger passing by the tape in the store (without, ignorantly of course, looking at the back of the cover) I thought it was some oddball Texas horror movie.Maybe in its way it is sort of a horror movie, but more about the terror of secrets meant to be buried like the skull and badge of the long-gone Sheriff Wade (Kris Kristofferson) who we see in flashbacks as a mean SOB s***-kicker who didn't take no guff from no one, whether it was his fellow officer (Matthew McConaughey in a small but great role), or a black or a Mexican. It's in this backdrop that the present-day story unfolds as a mix of murder mystery, political scandal and gladhanding, military hiccups, immigration, and interracial romance, with Chris Cooper as the sheriff in present day finding out thing after thing that makes him more disillusioned.It's easy to say the message of the movie, if it has one, can boil down to "It's all BS and it's bad for ya," but what is so engrossing about Lone Star is how Sayles depicts these people as trying to be good as they can be (the ones we're meant to see as good anyway), and that they have to navigate a lifetime full of discrimination and being apart and being told what to do, whether it's someone who is black or Mexican or a white person trying to be with a Mexican (that too, in its way, is a form of racism). The wounds are so deep that we might as well be skeletons rotting in the sun and it will take a long time, long after those reading this review are gone, to heal.But the good people of this story, or trying to be good anyway also comes down to point of view, which I found fascinating. I liked very much the scene where the younger black woman soldier is in front of the Colonel played by Joe Morton and she's in real trouble over drugs being found in her test. But there's this dialog between them in this scene that breaks down about why they're even in the military, or what they think they're doing there. It's a supporting plot line and yet it's not padding, it's not something unnecessary, it like many other scenes that show how characters act and react to the world around them can't help but be shaped by the place they're in - Good ol' Boy land Texas - and how they navigate through being a minority in this place.Acting across the board is solid (even Frances McDormand, who I almost forgot was in the movie by the time she shows up, gets a scene stealer of a performance to give), and the writing is sharp and trusting of its audience that if it takes its time the rewards will be gradual and satisfying. It's got deep messages about how American life, Mexican life too, functions throughout history, with the "Native Americans" also in the background, but it still functions as entertaining drama that gives every character more than a few moments to feel alive and developed. It's assured filmmaking that we don't get to see much at a studio level anymore.

I feel sorry for those who think this is the best American film ever made, even though I can't quite believe anyone would genuinely claim such a thing.Mind you, perhaps it did turn out that way in the last 50 minutes - because my perseverance gave out at that point, so I have no idea how it ends. Nor do I care...Slow and boring. One of the most tedious films I've never watched. Others that lost me before the end: Perfect Storm (actually only 10 minutes in) and The Hours (ghastly). Oh yes and Atonement. Strange how the film industry has declined in every department over the years. I suppose it's the audience.Typical clichéd modern film making at its worst. Poor in every department - just another excuse to bash people over the head with the same old liberal politics in place of entertainment. Utter crap.

If anything I found this one a little too complex; there were several threads that seemed totally unrelated to the main thrust of the story. It's also, I felt, a little too long; the filmmakers are asking quite a lot for an audience to concentrate for two hours and fifteen minutes. It is slow paced, but I didn't particularly mind that; I'm used to the noir style and it is usually quite a slow burner. Some great performances with Chris Cooper coping well with the leading role and Kris Kristofferson playing the villain of the peace with gusto. Also we have Elizabeth Peña, who did an excellent job as the female lead and a small part for Matthew McConaughey as Buddy Deeds. Although it does have its problems I still found it an excellent watch; definitely one to look out for for all you noir fans out there.SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDEDMy score: 7.5/10.You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.