The Sunset Limited

Two men trapped in a room with their opposing beliefs. The words of Cormac McCarthy. The direction of Tommy Lee Jones. The powerhouse combination of Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones. Two actors. One room. Big Ideas. Emotions run high. The essence of Drama is Conflict.

This 90 minute look at two men's opposing beliefs is strong and will resonate with the viewer long after it is over. It's the story of a man who wants to end his life and another man who wants to save it. What rings true is the direction of Tommy Lee Jones. It gels so well with the words of Cormac McCarthy.

These two actors gel even better making it all the richer. Jackson has the flashier role where Jones plays his complexly understated. If any actor could raise your heart rate by talking it's Sam Jackson. His character's belief in God is sincere and matched with Jones's dark, realistic view of the world.

Speaking of realistic-Don't go looking for a neat ending. This film stays true to it's subject matter and these actors stay even truer to their characters. Jones, as a student of theater and literature, knows as a director to let the words live and breathe. Because he does Jackson and him make a monument out of two chairs and a table in a small room. This sunset is anything but limited.

The concept of this movie is almost impossible to sell (two dudes talking in a room) if that is an automatic switch off for you then give this a miss, have a good evening.

It almost was for me but as the two dudes in question are Tommy Lee and Samuel L, I thought I would give it a shot; glad I did as I was instantly gripped and before I realised it the end credits were rolling.

The two perform an elegant dance of dialogue, Samuel's character from the slant of a straight shooting, Southern ex-con who has found Jesus and Tommy as the depressed, over educated nihilist.

There is nothing groundbreakingly new here. The discussion follows paths we have all considered, is there a god? could anyone bare living forever? But the two are masters at their trade.

This is an excellent film, if you insist on car chases and explosions to enjoy a movie (nothing wrong with that) then steer well clear. Otherwise give this a go. It won't change your life but will definitely affect your week.

It's a debate about the meaning of Life. a mind blowing movie for specific viewers. If you don't like films depending only on dialog .. Don't bother watching it! (I mean movies like "The Man from Earth").

On the other hand, if you are interested in Philosophy, that maybe the movie of your dreams.

This film is also a fight between two of my favorite actors ..the superb Tommy Lee Jones and the furious Samuel L. Jackson.

I loved every second of the film, and I'm really looking forward to watch it again very soon.

P.S: If you are going to watch it, please sit down and focus because the movie requires a lot of attention to every discussion.

What a powerful and emerging film that depicts the two opposing sides of this universe. I was really surprised by the quality of this "little" film. This isn't a movie about two people talking in a room about random stuff. This isn't a film about two life-travelers that engage in an ongoing argument about the human condition. This is a film about the quality of life. Not the meaning of it but the quality. The details in it's design. The true valor's clockwork.

The duality of belief, as a general term, is analyzed completely in this great approach of the Cormac McCarthy novel in which the two main protagonists, "named" simply Black (Samuel L. Jackson) and White (Tommy Lee Jones) are debating over a serious and dangerous issue. "White tried to jump in front of a train and Black came and saved his ass. He carries him in his apartment and tries to put some sense into this White dude." Right? Not really. "The movie also promotes religion and is an ongoing boredom that I completely despise." RIght? Not really again. This has a greater meaning than just that. We live in a world filled with pathetic lies, corny truths, raised flags over white buildings and big letters over or on the dark ones. We live in a world where prostitution is legalized even in the cultural state of the society. We live in a world where rejection, where pain, where slavery and failure are common attraction to the atrocious tourists. We are hoping to free the world from the hands of the manipulators and selfish dictators, we organize revolutions, we fight for freedom but in the end we all get trapped in the same positions as we were before. This is what this movie is about. It's about the ongoing fight carried to win our faith back. Faith, science, culture, logic, mathematics, metaphors, feelings, achievements... They are all the same. They are contents, ingredients and thoughts that the humankind must have in order to survive the greatest threat of them all. The threat which is not the monetary system, the threat which is not the harsh reality, the threat which is not the solely figurative place of the man in the world, but the threat that is represented in the lack of faith in ourselves. We are our own guides because we rule this world. This is why this movie has captured my attention completely. It's not a masterpiece, it's not a grand scale picture, it's not a studio banking option, it's not even part of the best films in the last years but... at the same time... it's simply great. I loved it because it really balances amazingly well the truth revealed along the film with the denouement. They are identical as both form and content.

I also liked the little details like the black coffee, the text erased at the bottom of the Bible, the absence of TV and radio, the lockers on the door and not to mention the biggest detail of them all... the room. Just think about the room vs. everything else. Order vs. Chaos. Even in a messy world we could find order...

Going further to the execution, the story is well structured, the dialogues are haunting, the clichés are gone because even if you find them they tend to leap by the end of the film, the acting is impeccable and the technical aspect of the movie was a comfortable surprise. It's exactly what the film needed. I can't talk too much about this film because I don't want to enter into the details... I just hope people could see what a good movie this really is. I'm pretty sure few movies captured my attention as this one did. Like Kubrick's 2001, this is a movie about content and... containers.

I'm 24, live in Sweden and I consider myself rather cultural. I have a big interest in movies, music, photography and such. In that context I have seen a lot of movies.

This is the first movie that have ever made me cry.

My fantasy was running wild during the hole 1½ hour, and I wish it would have never ended. I had thoughts and ideas about the outside world, the characters and I lived in the movie like never before. I wanted so many things to happen so badly like it was happening to me. The dialog blew me away and I have never seen acting that good.

Best movie I have ever seen.

p.s. I am an atheist. and still am.