Faithful and well-acted rendition of McCarthy's novel

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2007)

The screenplay and acting capture the sinister cruelty and suspense of Cormac McCarthy's fine novel. While not his best work, this film complements it well, with a standout performance from Javier Bardem, and solid ones from the rest of the cast (although I do not know why Woody Harrelson's character was included, as it added little to the plot, outside of some backstory). Tommy Lee Jones was born to play the lawman in this film, and I am hard pressed to imagine anyone else doing it. What is particularly refreshing about this effort is its unconventional treatment of good and evil, with just enough dialog on the subject to let you ponder it yourself without being hit over the head with the director's viewpoint. While quite violent, that never felt gratuitous, at least to me. My belief in reality was never asked to be suspended, a thing for which I was very grateful, as far too many directors/writers make that request without much regard for a viewer's willingness or ability. On the whole, I highly recommend this film, and may well pay the theater price to see it again.