I think its fits in nicely within the Coen ouevre (i.e. people, sometimes dumb, sometimes not, getting involved in situations way over the heads) and they must have needed a break after they're masterpiece of No Country for Old Men and the grand attention it got....the problem with the film is that the thriller aspects of the film occur too late into the third act. So, in the meantime, the audience has to get by on enjoying the wild, over the top acting.....which is pretty good for the most part. However, if you are going to cast Pitt AND Clooney its going to be a distraction anyway - but when they are both trying so hard to give it that "Raising Arizona" intensity its alot to take in.
Malkovich, McDormand, Swinton and Jenkins, all great actors, are sucked into the mayhem of the wildness of the script and are overwhelmed by it.
*** / *****
No Country for Old Men (2007)