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Some of you may have seen Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Ellah," which scored him a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role at this years Oscars.  Even more likely, you saw him this year as Sherrif Ed Bell in "No Country For Old Men."  But, I am confident, that many of you did not see him in 2005's "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada."

Jones both directed and starred in this gut/heart-wrenching modern western about a cattle rancher seeking retribution and a little revenge for the death of his friend Malquiades Estrada.  Lee gives a strong performance and, in my opinion, he contributes his most vulnerable character to date.

(This is the part when you quit reading this blog, make a run to your local video store and watch the film.  If you need a little more convincing, feel free to read on.)

Without giving too much away, the general synopsis is as follows.  Mike Norton (played by Barry Pepper) is a young and presumptuous border patrolman who mistakenly kills an illegal immigrant worker named Malquiades Estrada.  Norton quickly buries his body in the desert and plays it cool.  But, when Estrada's body is discovered by accident, it is reburied in town and the police don't look any further into the matter.  Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), Malquiades' best friend and boss, is heartbroken over the loss of his friend and forces Norton to bury Malquiades' body in his hometown in Mexico.  Both men set off on horseback with the corpse strapped to a mule and the journey begins.

Tommy Lee Jones usually plays characters who are stoic, learned, or action oriented, but that is why his performance in "The Three Burials" is so astonishing.  He is tender, heartbroken, irrational, and often angry.  This film truly highlights the breadth of his acting ability and is highly recommended.  There are some rather graphic scenes, which borderline slapstick (oddly enough) in the film, but they surprisingly enhance, not detract, from the severity of the situations at hand.

For those of you who just can't get enough Tommy Lee Jones after this year's Oscar season, you can't go wrong with "The Three Burials of Malquiades Estrada."  Check out the trailer below and, as always, let me know what you think about his performance.