The beautiful surface almost makes up for the lack of substance

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2008)

Obviously a masterpiece, but in no way deserving of the seemingly endless effusive exaltation it has received. Beautiful cinematography, fantastic performances from Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones, typically brilliant direction from the Coen Brothers, so fun to watch, and yet the audience is left without a chance to empathize. The characters are not human, and I'm not just talking about Chigurh.
Soulless, and for no apparent reason. Nevertheless, probably the second-best movie of 2007. If you want a real "unsettling" movie, go see There Will Be Blood. Immediately.
Additionally, it seems like people who are relatively new to the world of "art films" are using this as some sort of barometer for whether or not somebody "gets" movies. Although it has been nearly universally extolled a "good movie", the way that some people have the audacity to say "if you liked this movie, you 'get' movies and have good taste" is foolish. There are many valid reasons to love film and not to love this movie. So get off your high horse and let people have opinions. There are no correct opinions, even with a Coen Brothers movie.