Absolutely fantastic

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2007)

I came into this film with high expectations, and they were met with ease. I am quite a Coen fan, but regardless, this blew me away. The scenery was one of my favorite parts of the movie, as its bleak beauty was a wonderful treat for the eyes and really contributed to the sense of emptiness, being alone, feeling like you're so far out in the middle of nowhere that anything could happen and nobody could know about it. The quiet and lack of music contributed a similar effect. All the actors were great and the casting was spot on, even though in one scene where Tommy Lee Jones takes off his hat and there's a close up on his face he looks older than death. Everyone was great and right for the feel of the film. In addition, the killer's simple philosophy revealed by his several coin toss incidents "You stand to win everything" were really interesting and provided a window of insight into his character, leaving him explained but at the same time, an enigma. The Coens also knew when enough gore was enough gore. There was plenty of good, old-fashioned violence for any red-blooded American male but they knew what was enjoyable and what would have been gratuitous. Finally, one of the things that I enjoyed most is the abundant humor throughout the movie. They knew when to keep things serious and when to give some levity, and the film was exponentially better for it. Go see this movie as soon as you can.