No Film for Fans of a Tidy Ending...............

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2007)

Throughout the experience I kept telling myself "yes, this IS an 8.9 grade movie". Beautifully filmed and directed, generally, I think it is one of the best Coen Bros. films produced to date. The scenes, scenery and settings are stark, grimy, impoverished and just great as a palette to the interaction of superb dialog and interesting characters. Check the camera play throughout the film. The Coens have a style and execution all their own, in a league with De Palma, Scorsese and the like, yes, maybe even Hitchcock. Plot development is subdued but edgy and there are some surprising and gratifying twists and turns.
Character development is great and I am impressed with ALL the performances but especially with Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, in that order. Jones shines with his portrayal of the grizzled cowboy/sheriff, in a character reprisal similar to his role in "Three Funerals", I would love to see him paired up in a southwest movie along side Robert Duvall. Bardem is sinister and unflinching and reminds me of a flesh and blood "Terminator"; Josh Brolin(looking like his dad's twin) terrific as the prey; a surprise appearance by Harrelson, sharp and witty, I'd like to see more of him in future projects.
The big problem I have with this film is in it's culmination. I will say nothing more on this subject so that I do not create a spoiler. Suffice to say, despite ALL of its cumulative wonderfullness(?) I downgrade it from a 9 to a 7.5 because of the "ending". Reminds me of how I felt at the end of "Blair Witch". Too bad.....I hate unfulfilled expectation, especially after spending $8.50 for it..........Wait for the DVD rental........
I'd like to say that I'm becoming more and more disenchanted with the ratings levels that appear in the IMDb. Clearly, because of the ending, this is NOT an 8.9 grade movie.