I had some high hopes for this film. Ridley Scott and Cormac McCarthy working together along with a star studded cast would probably make for a very good film. Yet, it wasn't that great. I completely lost it when Cameron Diaz does a nude split on top of a Ferrari and humps the windshield. I suppose it conveys the theme of the film; these characters live a life of utter excess. They have no morals left. All they want is material pleasures like cars or cougars which we saw a lot of, and of course drugs. Not that the film wasn't without it's entertaining points, it just wasn't great. The ending is deeply disturbing, but it's a little cliche to have the pure-hearted slaughtered by the evil. Perhaps it's even biblical?
I suppose this film could engender a discussion about the stylized violence that made up so much of the film. There are several decapitations, shooting, and strangulations. Throughout the whole movie I like Javier Bardem's character the most. With the gaudy clothing and wild hair style he comes across as the most entertaining character of the film. Brad Pitt's character has some memorable lines but he is inconsequential to the film. As I"ve said before Cameron Diaz plays a role which displays a lack of moral compass, an obsession with materialistic possessions, and a ruthless demeanor in becoming a big time drug dealer. Perhaps she is returning to her role in Gangs of New York, rather than the major flop of, what was it called? Bad Teacher? Awful. She does add sex appeal, but my friend and I were both mutually dismissive of Diaz's performance as overly glamourized, and, at least in my case, hard to believe.
The last 45 minutes of the film contain all of the good action. It is when the Mexican mob starts killing everyone, the drug deal goes bad, and Penelope Cruz is kidnapped and killed in a snuff film. On further reflection, the violence is what makes the film. Without it, the film would be a noirish gangster movies set in the southwest.
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