a masterful showing from the creators of Fargo

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2007)

Powerful, unflinching cat and mouse tale centering around three characters in the 1980s: a dry, laconic Texas sheriff (Jones), a poor but resilient welder and Vietnam veteran in the wrong place at the wrong time (Brolin), and a merciless killer so evil that he could almost be The Devil himself (Bardem). Things get set in motion when the poor man stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of drugs, and a loot of two million dollars that he decides to try and keep for himself, but unfortunately this makes him the target of the killer who tracks him expertly while leaving a jarringly brutal signature of violence and mayhem everywhere he goes. It's up to the weary local sheriff to try and resolve the crisis before it's too late. Gripping, suspenseful, and deliberately volatile, this startling tale is on the long side, but never lets up for a minute with tense action, arresting characters, and a surprising since of humor despite the dark and graphic nature of the storyline. Jones and Brolin both deliver sturdy, poised performances, but the film belongs to Bardem—in a raw, powerhouse performance—who's simply bone-chilling as the eerie Anton Chigurh. ***½