Movie Review: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Liz heard good things about this film and so we put it on our Netflix queue. Illegal immigrant West Texas ranch worker Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo) is killed by a hotheaded Border Patrol rookie (Barry Pepper), and Melquiades's best friend, a fellow ranch worker named Pete (Tommy Lee Jones, who also directed), takes it on himself to secure justice and fulfill a promise he made to make sure Melquiades is buried in his hometown in northern Mexico.
The movie touches on themes of borders and other barriers, and how people can make connections across them; it also features a lot of eye candy in the form of stark, beautiful landscapes in the Big Bend and the Mexican state of Coahuila, as well as skimpily clad actress January Jones. Unfortunately, the movie is ultimately a poor cousin to Lone Star, both in themes, location, narrative style (lots of flashbacks, which Sayles handled much more deftly), even down to the same touches of directorial mannerism. Three Burials also had extraneous elements--the Border Patrol and the old blind cowboy; the packhorse stumbling off the mesa; the multiple appearances of Mariana--that slowed the pace more than was needed.
Neither Liz nor I were impressed. If you're looking for a film capturing the feel of West Texas, Lone Star is the better choice (or Friday Night Lights if high school football interests you). Pass on Three Burials unless you're a huge Tommy Lee Jones fan.
The movie touches on themes of borders and other barriers, and how people can make connections across them; it also features a lot of eye candy in the form of stark, beautiful landscapes in the Big Bend and the Mexican state of Coahuila, as well as skimpily clad actress January Jones. Unfortunately, the movie is ultimately a poor cousin to Lone Star, both in themes, location, narrative style (lots of flashbacks, which Sayles handled much more deftly), even down to the same touches of directorial mannerism. Three Burials also had extraneous elements--the Border Patrol and the old blind cowboy; the packhorse stumbling off the mesa; the multiple appearances of Mariana--that slowed the pace more than was needed.
Neither Liz nor I were impressed. If you're looking for a film capturing the feel of West Texas, Lone Star is the better choice (or Friday Night Lights if high school football interests you). Pass on Three Burials unless you're a huge Tommy Lee Jones fan.
Labels: movies
posted by Raymund at
7:47 PM
4 Comments:
I slipped past the watchful eyes of Curtis, Ling, and Gus! Lucky me.
Also, Gus might appreciate that one of the supporting characters works in a diner that holds meetings of the Lions Club of Van Horn.
You saved me from buying the DVD, which I've eyed a few times during the late-night boredom rush to Wally World.
BTW, have you seen Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil? I don't recall any movie that captures the 'spirit' of Missouri quite as well -- albeit, seen through the North/South split during the Civil War. The rebels are quite Ozarkian in spirit, not really all that concerned about the issue of slavery so much as with wanting to be left alone to run their own lives. In fact, more movies are made 'about' Texas than 'about' Missouri, come to think of it. Still, I was impressed that someone with Ang Lee's background could portray that spirit so well. (However, the movie did seem to grow a tad too long, with some slow moments.)
Imagine my consternation when I arrived this morning to assign you to review The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada -- only to see that you'd already done so!
Curtis, glad to save you $6.88 in the bargain bin.
I haven't seen Ride with the Devil, but it sounds interesting and Netflix lowers the activation energy barrier for selecting a movie.
The only Missouri/Civil War film I recall is, tangentially, The Outlaw Josie Wales, but that's not 'about' Missouri in any sense. (It's really about Southern-Romantic anticapitalism).
Gus, don't lie to me. I know where you live!
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