Self-indulgent Garbage.

Rating: 1/10 (14 March 2008)

This movie is pretty much self-indulgent garbage. The story is very contrived and silly. Why would the guy who found the money go back to the scene of the crime, knowing that all hell would be breaking loose by the bad guys and cops? Yet this folly is the crux of the plot, because his return enables the bad guy to get on the chase. The bad guy, Chigurh, is a bad remake of many nut-killers of the past. Indestructible no matter what, with a stupid grin on his face all the time, and omniscient in knowing all, seeing all. A cartoon villain. A lot of Llewelyn's decisions and actions can be seen as stupid, but these were necessary to keep it going. So, in the end, who cares? They say there are 5 basic movie plots, and this one, the chase, is very common. So common, in fact, that NCFOM turns out empty and shallow. I guess the makers feel that, since this is an art film, they can just throw anything on the screen, and we're supposed to appreciate it like it was a piece of modern art hanging on a wall. That's OK, but who stares at a piece of meaningless shapes and colors for the time this movie ran? What are the Coens going to do next time? A five hour flick shot at a slaughterhouse, with lots of close ups and details?