I am not in the mood to watch films right now. But my husband wanted to do something “fun” with me and so I chose the best I could. (By the way, I annoy my whole family because they say I am very picky about movies and have a very high standard - damn right because I hate wasting my time). Anyway, I was blown away by this movie - it is one of the best I have seen in a long time and I think everyone should see it.

First of all, it’s AMAZINGLY shot - no, no grand, sweeping, romantic scenery, just the unmistakable Texas landscape (man, I have missed it - what’s funny is there was a guy at the theater who was from Amarillo - in Jordan, lol), trailers, and cheap motel rooms. But man, I was in love with the way you could almost hear the buzz of the fluorescents and feel the heat of the landscape. It was the stark details of life that I enjoyed seeing so well captured on film.

Aside from that, it was very well acted - everyone, down the every last extra they had was an authentic character and interesting to watch - that is an amazing feat for a production and I was thoroughly impressed by the acting abilities and direction. The main hero was quite likable, as was Tommy Lee Jones’s wry, wise character. There was truth and wisdom spilling from every word, not to mention subtle bits of humor and humanity. The main “bad” character was thoroughly impressive and powerful - I have not been so frightened of a person in a long time.

The story itself was BRILLIANT, and that’s all I’ll say to you about it if you haven’t seen it.

Read on IF you have already seen it:

First of all, I was on the edge of my seat like the whole time. I must say, it is a gruesome picture and it was very effective. The Coen Brothers have done an amazing job, fulfilling every artist’s dream: to take the particulars of their time and place and relate them to universal themes. At first the “bad guy” was utterly perplexing to me. It made me so uncomfortable seeing someone “get away” with so much. I did see that they made all sorts of allusions to the fact that he was “larger than life” somehow, but near the end when it clicked in my mind that he represented Death, it all made sense - all the allusions, all the hints, the weird hints and implied lines, and I was almost jumping out of my seat with my awe of the film.

Anyway, it’s not only a thoroughly enjoyable movie in its particulars - the psychopathic nature, the chase, etc. - but in its reflection on death - that it strikes at will, and that no one is safe from it. You can’t bargain with it, you can’t escape from it. We all have an appointment in Samarra.

“Every soul must taste death.” - The Quran, Chapter 3