No Country for Old Men (2007) **1/2

Rating: 6/10 (27 December 2008)

I kept meaning to see this when it was in the theaters because I'd heard so many great things about it. When it was praised at the Academy Awards and even got a Best Picture Oscar, I tried a little harder, but bad scheduling kept interfering. Now that I've seen it (not once, but twice -- more on that later) I've come to think the man upstairs might have been trying to spare me several dollars. First off, with such expectations going in, this will have to rank as one of the most overrated movies I've ever seen. My **1/2 rating wouldn't have changed a bit had I never heard of its reputation; it's just that I wouldn't have used the term "overrated" to describe it.
The Bad: I'll skip with the storyline here, but just say that there are some plot holes and bits of business that just never made much sense to me (like having the suitcase transferred through the vents in the different hotel rooms). None of its characters are likable (not that this in itself is a deal breaker if a movie works), the pacing is lethargic and sleep-inducing, and the ending is terrible and inconclusive. Tommy Lee Jones is interesting as an ineffective Texas sheriff who can't deal with the escalating new brand of random violence, yet he's underused. All he does is offer up endless musings about how things have changed, but one wonders why they'd give a badge to such a disinterested lawman. And not only is Jones not interested; does anyone else in this state ever hear or react to all the endless shootings, car explosions and crashes going on everywhere?
The Good: nice direction and cinematography, and good performances from Jones, Josh Brolin, and -- of course -- Javier Bardem, who makes one of the screen's most memorable villains with his ominous portrayal of a crazed and indifferent psychopathic killer. That said, do I think Bardem's performance was worthy of the coveted Oscar which he received? No, I wouldn't go quite that far. But as of this time I haven't seen the other best supporting actors' work in the other films they were nominated for along with Bardem.
In the end this is just an Above Average chase movie with elements of western, horror, slash-and-stalk, and melodrama. It's well-acted, shot nicely, benefits from not using any music score. But I'm not sure of the point to any of the ugliness that's going on, and some things were incomprehensible, including the unsatisfying conclusion. I actually made sure to watch it two times... first last night where its pacing made my head nod a few times... and then again bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next morning, just to make sure I gave it a fair chance. My rating stayed the same both times. **1/2 out of ****