Mostly gripping, but lost its way

Rating: 7/10 (20 September 2011)

After settling us into the landscape, the film got into gear as a tense, engaging thriller, with great performances from all concerned, some fantastic characters and dialogue that fit perfectly into the setting. (I particularly enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones's ageing sheriff and Javier Bardem's psychopathic pursuer, but that's merely a selection.) However, I found the editing a little over-indulgent, and beyond a certain point the film meandered more and more until it seemed to be unsure of what the subject was.
If it had lost about 20 minutes and focused more on either one storyline or the other, I feel it would have made a more satisfying experience overall. Nevertheless, most of the film was a real treat to behold.