It's good but didn't deserve the Oscar for best film

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2009)

I respect the technical qualities of the film but I can't say I particularly cared for it. How did it get hyped enough to win the Oscar for best film? I'm really not sure although perhaps because it plays constantly with our expectations and genre conventions but probably mostly because of the killer performance by the killer Javier Bardem. He plays a memorable character and it's probably what people will remember from the film 10 years from now. What also comes to mind is how street smart the main characters are and it does help to make things more convincing instead of always second-guessing the stupid actions of the protagonists in typical movies.
Although the parts with the sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) were obviously important (to explain the title of the film for one), I thought they were slow and rather dull (although it's likely a conscious choice to show how it's "not a country for old men" anymore). The violent scenes were short, tense and felt realistic, sometimes skipped altogether. Like the Texas state where it takes place, the film felt desolate and gritty. I should mention that in several places, including the ending, the brothers Coen went for the unexpected and/or anticlimactic. I generally like surprises but overall the problem with anticlimax is that it rarely leaves you satisfied.
Rating: 7 out of 10