What an accurate vision of the current West and some of its people!

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2007)

In terms of screen time, its probably Brolin, Bardem and then Jones, and they all deliver as if they never doubted their artistic choices for as much as a minute. Bardem probably comes away with the most mind-boggling performance. His 'psychopath' makes you wonder if he actually knew one. It's a little unnerving watching him intimidate people he encounters, but there's also something about him that convinces you, this man would survive. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones somehow share the true center of the film, giving it the heart and familiarity we need to get entangled with Bardem. Every minute each one spends on screen is like a gift. Both have such a feeling and understanding for the characters they play that it quickly becomes apparent that there will never be a remake of this film, as rich as it is in story and drama.
I probably spent a couple years living out West, and, in my opinion, this wonderful film has pretty much distilled some of the more dicey parts of that experience to its essence. Brolin I especially recognize, and it was good fun to tag along beside his character as he makes choices few of us would have the guts to make. But the West is full of desperate people and there's no denying it.