That movie poster catch line sums up "No Country For Old Men" pretty accurately. The movie, although hailed a success by both critics and the 2008 academy awards (i.e. best picture and best director), did not strike me as being so terrific. A good movie? Yes. An award winner? No.

In summary, the movie is a traditional crime chase film, except that there are more chases going on than in the typical "cop versus thief" movie. A moment's greedy indiscretion lands middle aged white trailer-trash Texan Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) in a heap of trouble. During a not so entertaining solo deer hunt in the middle of the Texas desert, Moss accidentally stumbles upon the carnage of a Mexican/American drug deal gone bad. He also stumbles upon two million dollars. Now I'm not going to be prudish and suggest that I wouldn't pick up a $100 bill on the street if I came across it - after all the law is finders keepers, right? But, if there were a number of dead Mexican/American drug dealers near that bill, I'd just take exit stage left pretty quick...without the $100 bill. Moss was not that bright. He thought he'd get away with it. He thought wrong...

Now enter Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a hitman among hitmen. He has all the soul of a tree stump and all the twisted rage of the devil's spawn. He also is a perfectionist who will not stop chasing his prey until he wins the hunt. In this case, winning means killing Moss and retrieving the cash.

Of course, there are other people after the money too. Mexicans, a bounty hunter played by Woody Harrelson (WOODY !), and a tired old rural county sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones. All these individuals, some good, some bad, and some in between, are after the cash. And where there are a lot of people after cash, there is going to be a body count. No Country for Old Men is no exception to that rule.

The movie attempts to be a very introspective drama that trascends good guy/bad guy movies and examines human nature. I thought it failed. The ending was abrupt, but abrupt in an incomplete way...not at all brilliant. The acting was strong, but then the dialogue was limited. The action, well, not a big deal. The movie tries to enter the league of "human morality" films where you'll find, "In the Bedroom", "Mystic River", "The Departed" and "Little Children". But frankly, this movie doesn't make it to the team.

Good enough to rent....but nothing more.