A very good movie

Like many other movies directed by the Coen brothers, I have actually seen this one when it came out. Eventually, as usual with those guys, I had to re-watch it again a few years later to actually make up my mind for good about the damned thing. I have noticed that, even though it was very well received when it was released, it is pretty much forgotten nowadays but I think it might actually be one of their best movies. First of all, the whole thing looked quite gorgeous and their directing style was just perfect for such a film noir. Furthermore, back in those days,  I wasn’t really familiar with Billy Bob Thornton (at the time, he was more famous for his marriage with Angelina Jolie than his actual acting skills) but  he was pretty impressive and he gave here pretty much one of his best performances. He definitely displayed some potential and it’s too bad he seems to get stuck in his 'Bad Santa' mode nowadays. Anyway, the rest of the cast was really solid as well (Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Jenkins, Tony Shalhoub). To conclude, it is a terrific black comedy and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in the Coen brother’s work.