Sure to be a classic

Rating: 9/10 (10 December 2007)

The basic premise the Cohen Bros. seem to be working with here is that evil can't be stopped. It's possible that some of my views here might be interpreted differently, but the film seems pretty clear with Antone's character.
So here's what happens (I won't give away the ending): A man called Lewellyn Moss(not sure of spelling) find's a drug deal gone bad where everyone is dead or left for dead in the deserted Texas plains. He comes across a suitcase full of money brought to the deal and sneaks it back to his place. Once he realizes he's being sought after and tracked by a sadistic hit-man, the cat and mouse game begins. Lewellyn tries to hide his wife and his own identity from the hit-man, but as the chase continues he realizes he might be out of his league.
Meanwhile Tommy Lee Jones is the sheriff in the county where this all started. He just be a small-town cop, but he's a good one with a dark sense of humor that seems to blend perfectly with his crime-solving abilities. He realizes early on that Antone is not simply a hired gun, but someone who enjoys his work and is quite crafty. Jones's character wants to prevent any further death and devastation and even with his experience and skill as detective he feels he's up against some sort of evil that may overtake him.
It's a dusty, dirty world that seems real and harsh when you realize that you're rooting for Lewellyn because Antone is coming after him and is a force that can't be stopped. To root for him is to live that Dylan Thomas poem "Do Not Go Gentle." But you root for Jones's character too, and Moss's wife. Most of all just hope that that dark evil that seems to trap everyone wont' win in this case. The money's really not the issue, and this is shown through Moss's reactions, but especially the supporting cast. Moss is more subtle and keeps his cards closer to his chest.
Every line is delivered with just the right amount of weight and there never seems to be a word wasted. While watching this movie I couldn't help but think that the script was so good that it could almost be transfered straight to radio with little narration and still be very effective. The photography is just about as good though. It's a thinking man's movie, but there's plenty of action, swagger and suspense in how this is shot. The backdrop of the desolate Texas towns of 1980 or thereabouts is so real you feel surrounded by it and almost as if you're going to walk into it when you leave the theatre.
The message sinks in slowly but surely. Antone is a badass in the very very "bad" way and you hate him for it, even if you love watching the chase. Every lesser character like Woody Harrelson's, the convenience store clerk (the Cohen's have a knack for finding perfect roles for gas station attendents) the deputy and Moss's mother-in-law add to the stew.
It's fascinating, well-paced, leaves you thinking and just pulls at you. You feel like you've faced just what the sheriff faced by the end and you'll probably come to the same conclusion. Watch it.