"The Sunset Limited" is a short film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones (who also directs) as two men discussing faith, depression, and the meaning of life and happiness in one of their apartments. It was written by Cormac McCarthy, an excellent writer, who has had many of his books and screenplays make it to the big screen. Some of his best works include "No Country for Old Men" and "The Road".
The movie is as low budget as it gets, the whole story plays out in Black's (Samuel L. Jackson) rundown apartment after White (Tommy Lee Jones), a professor who is at his wit's end, attempts to kill himself by jumping in front of a train, the Sunset Limited. Black is a devout believer in the lord, with a complicated past, who also claims to have a special connection with God, while White is the exact opposite, an atheist who feels like death could possibly be his only release. Both of these well-studied actors, who could arguably be some of the best actors of all time, throw all of their acting weight behind their characters. Both characters are interesting and bring up original viewpoints on religion and faith.
The 90-minute film time is filled with memorable quotes, stories, and arguments from both men. Jackson plays his character as a positive, almost theatrical believer. Many times throughout the film, he lambasts White for his negative view on life and his lack of belief, with White only being able to reply with how he truly feels. There are no flashbacks, no choreographed action sequences, just dialogue. Even the angles in which Jones chooses to shoot certain sequences has a low budget indie feel to it.
This is a dialogue centric movie, and McCarthy's script takes advantage of every line delivered by both of these legendary actors. The ending, much like the whole movie, is left open to the viewer's interpretation. The questions raised by viewers throughout the film are never really given a definitive answer, with both characters giving their own answers from their slanted viewpoints, and also raising some questions of their own.
I cannot go into the plot of the movie too much without spoiling it, but the ending may raise quite a few more questions than it answers for those with a keen eye. Not a lot happens in "The Sunset Limited"; some may even call it boring, but if you are the type of person who enjoys a "character" film, such as "Taxi Driver," or philosophy, you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. If you give it a chance and keep an open mind, whether you subscribe to one of the many religions of the world or not, this small project with big names attached will pay off.
