Running time: 121 minutes
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, January Jones, Melissa Leo
Rating 8 out of 10
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, to give Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut its full title, is rather like Jones' own screen persona: gruff, manly and full of delicious black humour. Jones has wisely surrounded himself with top class talent both in front of and behind the camera, not least Guillermo Arriaga who has provided a screenplay at least equal to his breakthrough hit Amores Perros and superior to his much-lauded follow-up 21 Grams, and Chris Menges, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of The Mission and The Killing Fields, who here captures some of his best images.
Jones himself leads the way as Pete Perkins, a modern-day ranch-hand eking out a living in the no man's land of the border between Texas and Mexico. He takes on a young Mexican immigrant and shows him the ropes, and soon the two become best buddies - in a very Howard Hawksian way - by drinking, riding and whoring together. But when Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo) is shot and killed, Pete resolves not only to find his killer, but to take him and the body back to the Mexican's hometown. It's an unlikely buddy movie, as their road trip throws up unexpected surprises and one or two laughs.
In scenes that jump in time and location - similar to but less jarring than 21 Grams - we also follow a young couple who have moved into the town. The Nortons arrive expecting great things, with handsome Mike (Barry Pepper) and sexy Lou Ann (January Jones) starting a new life supported by his new job as a Border Guard. But the reality of a used mobile home soon turns things sour, and the story of how their lives intertwine with Pete and Melquiades becomes the crux of the plot.
Pepper continues to make us wonder why he is not a bigger star as his youthful Christopher Walken looks help him to steal every scene he is in. It's credit to Jones that he allows this to happen, and he extracts impressive turns from all of his leading actors. If there is any flaw in the film it's that it doesn't know quite when to finish, with a final act that could have been condensed.
But there is no doubt that this is a debut that catapults Jones into a league previously occupied by Clint Eastwood - as a major actor who has now provided us with proof that he is a considerable talent in charge of events as well. Impressive stuff.
Paul Hurley
Jones himself leads the way as Pete Perkins, a modern-day ranch-hand eking out a living in the no man's land of the border between Texas and Mexico. He takes on a young Mexican immigrant and shows him the ropes, and soon the two become best buddies - in a very Howard Hawksian way - by drinking, riding and whoring together. But when Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo) is shot and killed, Pete resolves not only to find his killer, but to take him and the body back to the Mexican's hometown. It's an unlikely buddy movie, as their road trip throws up unexpected surprises and one or two laughs.
In scenes that jump in time and location - similar to but less jarring than 21 Grams - we also follow a young couple who have moved into the town. The Nortons arrive expecting great things, with handsome Mike (Barry Pepper) and sexy Lou Ann (January Jones) starting a new life supported by his new job as a Border Guard. But the reality of a used mobile home soon turns things sour, and the story of how their lives intertwine with Pete and Melquiades becomes the crux of the plot.
Pepper continues to make us wonder why he is not a bigger star as his youthful Christopher Walken looks help him to steal every scene he is in. It's credit to Jones that he allows this to happen, and he extracts impressive turns from all of his leading actors. If there is any flaw in the film it's that it doesn't know quite when to finish, with a final act that could have been condensed.
But there is no doubt that this is a debut that catapults Jones into a league previously occupied by Clint Eastwood - as a major actor who has now provided us with proof that he is a considerable talent in charge of events as well. Impressive stuff.
Paul Hurley
