2007 I 15+ I 122 Mins I Dir: Joel & Ethan Coen
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.
The film certainly settles you into its pace with ease and is directed with an expert attention to tension throughout.
The standout here is of course Javier Bardem who is chilling to watch as a calm and collected psychopath who lives by a set of rules akin to his unsettling presence. Despite his performance naturally being great, the film owes a great deal to the casting department who have filled these roles perfectly across the board.
The ambiguous ending, whilst thematically making sense certainly does cut the film short and leave you both wanting more and feeling frustration at the lack of resolution to the plot. This is obviously what the Coens are going for but will no doubt be a huge factor in your overall thoughts on the film.
A great exercise in how you tell a simple premise in an effective way. Is it The Coen Brothers’ best? It might just be.
STARRING: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt
BEST QUOTE: “Call it...”
FUN FACT: Josh Brolin broke his shoulder in a motorcycle accident two days after getting the part and thought the injury had blown his chances of working with the Coens. However due to his character getting shot in the shoulder early on in the script, it turned out not to be an issue.
IF YOU LIKED: Wind River, Fargo, True Grit
Joe Gist
Creative Director
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