I am undecided. My wife hated it. For me, it’s complex and confusing. For her, it was about the pace (slow), the dialogue (tedious), the cliches (many) and the southern drawls (thick). For a European watching it and trying to translate at the same time, it’s going to be a tough ride. It’s absolutely an American movie.  

There is, however, something about this movie continuing to tug on me.

The cinematography is amazing, and the scenery brings you right into the desolate beauty of southwest Texas. Yet you’re glad you only have to visit for two hours. It draws you into suspense and then bores you - like riding a swing set - up and down and over again.

But here’s my major problem, issue, whatever - maybe it has little to do with the movie: it’s a “simple folk” thing.

I’ve had my fair share of conversations with people who move through dialog blathering in a series of connected cliches and song lyrics, compensating for the fact they have nothing original to say. Which describes much of the dialog in this movie.  Here’s an example (from IMDB):

Carla Jean Moss: Where’d you get the pistol? 

Llewelyn Moss: At the gettin’ place. 

Carla Jean Moss: Did you buy that gun? 

Llewelyn Moss: No. I found it. 

Carla Jean Moss: Llewelyn! 

Llewelyn Moss: What? Quit hollerin’. 

Carla Jean Moss: What’d you give for that thing? 

Llewelyn Moss: You don’t need to know everything,Carla Jean. 

Carla Jean Moss: I need to know that. 

Llewelyn Moss: You keep runnin’ that mouth I’m gonna’ take you in the back and screw ya’. 

Carla Jean Moss: Big talk. 

Llewelyn Moss: Keep it up. 

Carla Jean Moss: Fine. I don’t wanna’ know. I don’t even wanna’ know where you been all day. 

Llewelyn Moss: That’ll work.  

The problem is, the dialog in this movie is really smart, even when it’s excruciatingly painful to listen to. It’s a few tied in stories of people who are so stubborn in their thoughts, they can’t let go, even when they know better.

And then there’s the ending. RRRRGGH!