conundrum...or just dumb?

Rating: 6/10 (10 April 2008)

What ruins this movie is that it is so over-rated.
The movie contains elements of Sergio Leone's style, and another great director of westerns, Budd Boetticher (both Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones speak like Randolph Scott). However. Leone's and Boetticher's movies are satisfying.
The Coens must have wondered: by deleting certain scenes, can we attain mystery, suspense... depth? I think that they succeeded --for some viewers-- because the movie did win best picture Oscar.
I would rather see a movie that is very good than one that pretends to be great.
I give it 6 stars mostly for Javier Bardem. What a relief from horrible holly wood(Cruise, Depp, etc.)