The Best and Worst of Josh Brolin

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” star Josh Brolin.

Films starring Josh Brolin that I've seen:
The Goonies
Hollow Man
Planet Terror
American Gangster
No Country for Old Men
Milk
Jonah Hex
True Grit
Men in Black 3
Gangster Squad
Oldboy
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Everest
Sicario
Hail, Caesar!
Only the Brave
Avengers: Infinity War
Deadpool 2

Best Performance: No Country for Old Men (2007)
Brolin is one of my favorite actors and while he was great in Robert Rodriguez's underrated B-zombie flick Planet Terror, No Country for Old Men was the film that convinced me he was a top-tier talent. Thanks to his stern yet nuanced performance, Brolin makes Llewyn Moss a smart, grounded protagonist whose preservation-based decisionmaking is easy to understand once his quiet life goes to hell after he stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone awry and chooses to take a briefcase containing $2 million in cash from the scene.
       

Worst Performance: Everest (2015)
Everest was a relatively forgettable fact-based survival drama that wasn't bolstered by the presence of numerous acting powerhouses including Jake Gyllenhaal, John Hawkes and Robin Wright. While Brolin wasn't notably better or worse than any of his costars, this was pretty much the only movie that he's appeared in where he didn't standout or elevate the material that was given to him.  

Best Film: No Country for Old Men (2007)
Masterpiece is a term that I find to be a bit overused in the world of film criticism. However, it's a distinction that I'd apply to No Country for Old Men without hesitation. The Coen Brothers adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is a brilliantly-acted thriller that pairs nerve-frying suspense with fascinating commentary about the conflicting nature of human morality that remains haunting on repeat viewings.    

Worst Film: Hail, Caesar! (2016)
Whenever the Coen Brothers decide to return to directing, hopefully they'll put out something better than this. Despite some spirited efforts from its star-studded ensemble cast (George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Brolin, several other recognizable faces/names) Hail, Caesar! managed to be the most unfocused and downright unfunny comedy the icon filmmakers have ever assembled. This very niche satire of Old Hollywood constantly drives jokes into the ground, juggles about a half-dozen inconsequential subplots at once and features a glacial pace that completely clashes with the zany nature of the material.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Ant-Man and the Wasp” star Walton Goggins.