Why are THEY hyping this dog?

Rating: 3/10 (22 January 2008)

This film went absolutely nowhere! It was confusing with gaping holes in the story and plot that leave the viewer wondering who people are, how they got to where they are, what really happened, and why. It feels like the Coen bros. ran out of ideas, footage, and money, so they slapped together whatever they had on-hand for an ending.
You have to give the Coens credit for artistic style and for building a gripping, gritty experience for the first hour. The film was thoroughly engrossing from the beginning. The acting was excellent. They created a masterful concoction of brutal killer hunting the "little-guy trying to making it big". They get us emotionally invested in the underdog and put us on the edge of your seats routing for the little-guy just to survive. Unfortunately that's about the time things implode. The Coens drop the viewer into a spiral of confusion and reward our emotional investment with nothing. It left me wondering why they released such an unfinished film.
Tommy Lee Jones was sadly under utilized. He is an immense talent and screen presence relegated to an impotent, pseudo-supporting roll. His character is irrelevant to the plot and only leaves us wishing he had a bigger part. His closing scene only serves to further the confusion.
The true offenders in this debacle are the "Film Critics" and Academy brass who have hyped this mess. Just because the Coen brothers' name is on it does not make it genius.