Another Underwhelming Oscar Movie

Rating: 3/10 (2 August 2008)

In my view, this film falls under the same category as "There Will Be Blood": another disappointing Oscar winner of 2007. The hype far outweighs the quality. The quirky look and feel of the film are classic to other Coen films, but the overly simple and unbelievable plot overshadow the films attributes. Did Bardem really deserve the Oscar? He barely speaks throughout the film. I had a hard enough time coping with the bad hairdo, let alone admire his pointless character. Not even the violence of the film is enough to hold this viewer's attention. Woody Harrelson's character is about as deep as a comic book hero, and Tommy Lee Jone's jovial nihilism just does not hold up, especially after his last ranting monologue which concludes the film. He has the unfortunate quality of an actor who always seems to be the same person: Tommy Lee Jones. Sorry, but it just did not work this time.