The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2006)

I enjoyed this film so much I purchased it and have lent my copy to others so they could enjoy it as well (but it doesn't appear they have). I think this is the best thing I've seen Tommy Lee in but the intense Pepper (perfect for a Border Patrol Agent), the smoldering Leo (spot on for her rather small town street wise role), the folksy Yoakam (couldn't have found anyone better to play Sheriff), and the hapless Cedillo (sweet man just trying to get by, irrespective of borders), and finally the lovely January Jones (what an incredible beauty) they all held up their end as well. A terrific story of friendship and loyalty, loyalty that could have ended very badly and from which there was no turning back! Tommy Lee plays a no nonsense very decent man capable of doing violence for the sake of friendship and to honor an offhand promise but just as important ensuring some degree of justice is served. Great film that I will always think of fondly and that I revisit from time to time and each and every time it has the same emotional impact! By the way Tommy your directorial debut was as good as it can get, I detected nothing I could complain about! Damn film brought tears to my eyes!

The murdered body of Melquiades Estrada is buried in a hurry because the shooting and the politics are too complicated to stand trial near the Mexican border. Best friend of Estrada, Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones) realizes that no further investigation of the murder will ensue, so he takes justice into his own hands by kidnapping the border patrolman who took Estrada's life and forces him at gunpoint to disinter Melquiades from his grave and transport him to home soil in Mexico for a proper burial. Unbeknownst to the patrolman (Barry Pepper of Saving Private Ryan), this road trip to the cemetery will be hot, dusty, and grueling as Pete flirts with madness and his own reconciliation.Tough, sporadically funny, and definitely grisly, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a successful modern-day western. You have your whiskery hero with a cowboy hat who lives by his own code, several bonding moments between stubborn men, retribution for the coward character, and the lesson that maybe vengeance isn't always the best solution. Add a few flashbacks, and, of course, a woman to complicate things, and you are all set.It just so happens that this is also a directorial debut for Tommy Lee Jones, who captures the western beautifully with the help of some radiant cinematography by Chris Menges of The Mission and a cunning script by Mexican writer Guillermo Arriaga of 21Grams and Amores Perros. Film buffs will catch glimpses of the same grittiness seen in Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and similar morality lessons seen John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. True, Jones's film may not be an original, but it does play as a homage to the memorable classics. I believe this was one of the best films of 2005, but I am also reluctant to recommend the film because the western genre is so frowned upon these days with such an upsweep of reality T.V. and short attention spans. My suggestion is to watch this movie simply for the sake of Tommy Lee Jones's extraordinary performance. Or, see it because it contains one of the best lines at the end of a film. Or, see it because it was one of the most overlooked gems of last year, and you will be so grateful for being one of the few to have experienced it!

I'm not kidding. This was THE WORST movie I've ever seen in my entire life. That's hours of my life I'll never get back. Avoid this awful waste of time at all costs. I think it might have taken years off of my life.First of all, I think this movie was more about making a political statement rather than entertainment. I am willing to look past that. I've come across some good movies that were pure propaganda. However, everything about this movie was terrible. The beginning was terrible. The plot was terrible. The climax was....non existent. The ending was absolutely ridiculous. Please, for the love of God, avoid this movie.

i rented this movie for a good night in. and was it a good night in? NO THE MOVIE IS A DISASTOR!!! this film from start to finish is bland boring and there isn't a plot really its just about a fella who shot another fella and the fella who has the blame is dragged around for the whole film.this film is like a project gone wrong. when i first rented it i was expecting a great modern day western with good action or drama to it. instead i got a bad film. watching barney is more electrifying than this!!! the film is just awful!! i don't mean to be ignorant but how did they not see how bad this film actually is when they were making it. it is so so dull and dragged out!!! it could of been a lot a lot a lot better if they added a load of violence and chasing but even at that i don't think anything could of helped this film!