No Country for Old Men (DVD, 2008)

That's certainly not to say, of course, that the decision to avoid expressionistic cinematography or quick-cut editing doesn't constitute a style of its own, merely that a less ostentatious approach sometimes proves equally effective. And the Coen brothers, themselves acclaimed purveyors of directorial flourish, have elected in an era of overwhelming style to adopt a "less is more" technique for their latest film. No Country for Old Men, their latest, surely ranks among the best films of the year, as much for the decision to stay true to Cormac McCarthy's dusty, barren landscapes (both visual and emotional) as the fact that its outward simplicity belies a complex and deeply resonant tale of humanity coming to terms with its past, present and future.