The Coen Bros. Latest: See it.

Whatever your weekend plans are, be sure to set aside a few hours to see No Country for Old Men, the latest movie by the Coen Brothers and the year’s best film. The sibs are already responsible for some of our all-time favorite flicks: Miller’s Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski. No Country for Old Men could very well be their masterpiece. Based on Cormac McCarthy’s desolate novel, the movie takes place in 1980 Texas, where a drug deal has gone horribly wrong. A cowboy-hat-sportin’ welder (played by Josh Brolin, who’ll never again land a role as rich as this one) stumbles on a bunch of bullet-riddled bodies, a dying dude, and a bag filled with lots and lots of money. Over the next two hours, a small-town sheriff, angry Mexicans, and the baddest hitman to appear onscreen in a long, long time (played by Javier Bardem with maximum coolness; when he’s in a good mood, he lets the flip of a coin determine the fate of his victims) chase the cash-carrying Brolin across Texas. It’s one hell of a ride, built on the Coens’ usual foundation of dark suspense and even darker humor. Just don’t expect a tidy finish. McCarthy’s book ends on an existential note, and the Coens stay faithful to his words. No Country for Old Men opens Friday at the Cedar Lee Theatre. --Michael Gallucci