The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (snappy title eh?) is the second directorial effort by Tommy Lee Jones, who also stars. He plays an aging cowboy whose friend is killed in suspicious circumstances. When the local authorities cover things up, our hero takes things into his own hands, digs up the body and forces the main suspect to accompany him on a nightmare trip to Mexico to give his friend the burial he deserves.

As you can tell, this owes a lot to Sam Peckinpah, in particular Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, but Jones and d.p. Chris Menges make it all look great and the landscapes (most of them on Jones’ ranch, apparently) are striking. The big surprise is Barry Pepper as the bad guy, who initially plays his usual annoying persona but who eventually wins you over. Dwight Yoakam is funny as always as the local police chief, and joins Jones on the serious DVD commentary track. It’s slow and occasionally a bit too quirky, but if you’re looking for a thoughtful and stylish movie, here it is.

Mild Peril Rating:

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