No Country for Old Men (2007)

 

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande. 

Congenial adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel finds the Coen Bros. at the top of their art spinning a dark, sinister and thrilling tale full of excellent scenes, great photography and top performances all around.

Maltin***1/2: "Crackling tale...Creating tension from the first moments onward (and without the use of music), the Coens' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is a brooding tale of fate set against a stark backdrop...but not without irony and humor. Set on fire by Bardem's Academy Award-winning performance; brilliantly photographed by Roger Deakins." 

True Grit (2010)

A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.

Solid and tasteful remake of a John Wayne classic with a great central performance, but the movie doesn't add anything new or unique.

On rewatching: Entertaining and well-made, but not better than the original; perfect role for Jeff Bridges, though.

Maltin***: "Remake of the 1969 hit allows Bridges to put his own stamp on the role...The Coens' script calls on their love for language..., while cinematographer Roger Deakins fills the screen with beautiful imagery. Entertaining, to be sure, but being as unsentimental as it is, there isn't any emotional resonance when it's all over."

Only the Brave (2017)

Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who risk everything to protect a town from a historic wildfire.

Good firefighter tragedy with a solid cast is more focused on the protagonists' personal lives, but also offers some exciting firefighting scenes.

Into the Blue (2005)

A group of divers find themselves in deep trouble with a drug lord after they come upon the illicit cargo of a sunken airplane.

Shallow thriller with not much more than pretty people in exotic scenery getting into some silly trouble.

Maltin*1/": "Picturesque scenery and plenty of eye-candy don't compensate for a half-baked storyline, routine suspense, and mindless." 

Everest (2015)

The story of New Zealand's Robert "Rob" Edwin Hall, who on May 10, 1996, together with Scott Fischer, teamed up on a joint expedition to ascend Mount Everest.

Detailed rendtion of a major mountaineering tragedy is extraordinarily well produced with some breathtaking cinematography; large cast succeed in making the dramacredible.

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Good movie: excellent acting, good story.

On renewed viewing: On the surface a crime mystery, the movie subtly comes to reveal the harrowing effects that war inflicts on all who are involved; Jones' subdued and controlled performance is excellent.

Maltin***1/2: "Riveting whodunit takes us into dark, difficult terrain, all of it mirrored on Jones' haunted face; his exceptional performance anchors this outstanding film."

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.

Tongue-in-cheek homage to 50s Hollywood is especially convincing in its meticulous recreation of film scenes of diverse genres; in fact, the settings are all excellent, but the story with several subplots doesn't quite thrill, and the humour is sparse.

Sicario (2015)

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

This is first of all an excellent thriller: suspenseful with Blunt and del Toro offering top performances, and Roger Deakins' cinematography is spectacular; but these qualities hint at an underlying, more substantial content - which simply isn't there.