Wistful, longing, envious

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2007)

I could say so much about how wonderfully crafted this movie is, from the golden cinematography, to the witty writing, to the beautifully understated acting. But ultimately I judge a movie by how it leaves me feeling after I'm done watching. This is not a traditional western, with the black-and-white, good guy vs bad guy, rooting for justice to be served, with the cavalry or some other force to save the day. It is not just a buddy movie, with good times and comic moments. It is, in my mind, quite an original movie. This movie leaves me wistful, wishing for some golden sepia-toned moments of my own. Longing for a chance at adventure and a relatively care-free life; as a previous reviewer stated perfectly, these boys are middle-aged adolescents, unwilling or unable to grow up. Some of us (not everyone) will be envious of these boys and the life they chose and were able to lead, in defiance of the expected convention. Some of us will feel that wistful longing for a golden time: the closest comparison I can think of is listening to that opening song on Cheers, wanting to find a cozy place that perhaps doesn't really exist for many of us. I did not feel thrilled, I did not feel chilled, I did not feel elated. But I did feel...and I'm willing to feel that way again and again.