Where's Charley

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2008)

Way back in 1973 Don Sigel made Charley Varrick in which Walter Matthau made a reasonable living knocking over small mid-West banks til one day he hit the jackpot and unknowingly targeted the small, nondescript bank used for laundering mob money. After that we were into a chase movie with Joe Don Baker pursuing Matthau on behalf of the mob. Now a new wine turns up in an old bottle; in No Country For Old Men Josh Brolin stumbles on two million dollars and a half dozen stiffs. He takes the money, natch, and just as natch, Javier Bardem - last seen around these parts in Goya's Ghosts - comes after him and there you have it. This is one of those films that unimaginative critics who can't think of anything new to say refer to as a 'return-to-form' film, in this case the form is allegedly returning to the freres Coen and who am I to say otherwise. I know I liked Fargo and I know I like this one but as for the Form book your guess is as good as mine.