Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Having just watched the death of U.S. World Cup hopes, I decided to cheer myself up yesterday afternoon with a Netflix movie - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. The film, not nearly as morbid as the title suggests, stars Tommy Lee Jones and marks his debut as a director. Opening on the desert of southwest Texas, local authorities discover the body of an illegal immigrant and local cowhand, Meliquiades Estrada. The ranch foreman, and Estrada's best friend, Pete Perkins (played by Jones), kidnaps the Border Patrol agent guilty of accidentally killing Estrada who is being protected from the law by a gentleman's agreement between the local authorities and the Border Patrol. Perkins and his captive embark on a journey through the desert to bury Estrada in his native land of Mexico. This story is one of friendship, loyalty, justice, and redemption.

After his performance in this film, it's no wonder that Tommy Lee Jones was chosen to star in No Country for Old Men, which shares many similarities with The Three Burials, including the border setting. I was pleasantly surprised to see January Jones, of Mad Men fame, playing the wife of the guilty Border Patrol Agent in the film. You'll have a hard time finding this movie at a RedBox or your local video store, but it's worth you're time if you are a Netflix subscriber.

- Joel


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