For justice. For loyalty. For friendship.

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Melissa Leo, Levon Helm, Mel Rodriguez

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You try to run away again, and I'll kill you. I guess you know that by now." - Pete Perkins

Why watch this? A memorable Texas border tale about murder, penance and retribution.

Plot Summary: When an undocumented Mexican ranch worker is mistakenly killed and improperly buried, his friend, a Texas ranch foreman named Pete Perkins, remembers his promise to bury him in his hometown. Taking matters into his own hands, Pete kidnaps the border patrol agent responsible for the death and exhumes the body. With his captive and the deceased tied to a mule, Pete embarks on a long, arduous journey across the border to fulfill his vow.

Dad's Preview: This powerful neo-Western is both compelling on it's own and as an allegorical tale. It wanders through a young border patrolman's life - his hate-filled racism, his crime, torture... and eventual redemption - all at the hands of a hard Texas cowboy. Tommy Lee Jones and Barry Pepper deliver wonderful performances in this grueling journey to justice. This marked Tommy Lee Jones' first hand at directing, and it's a stellar effort. What I noticed most was the attention spent on all the little moments: Tender flashbacks between friends, the odd encounter with the blind man, and the scene sitting in the uneventful Mexican bar. There is a richness on display here that perhaps only someone who grew up in a Southern border state can appreciate, but I think it is broader than that.

EuropaCorp, Javalina Film Company; Sony Pictures Classics