No Country for Old Men Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 11.20.2007

Thank God for the Coens!


Tommy Lee Jones: Ed Tom Bell
Javier Bardem: Antone Chigurh
Josh Brolin: Llewelyn Moss
Woody Harrelson: Carson Wells
Kelly Macdonald: Carla Jean Moss
Garret Dillahunt: Wendell
Tess Harper: Loretta Bell
Barry Corbin: Ellis
Stephen Root: Man who hires Wells
Rodger Boyce: El Paso Sheriff
Written/Directed By: Joel and Ethan Coen
Release Date: November 9, 2007
Running Time: 122 minutes







Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language.

No Country for Old Men is not only one of the best films of the year, it is arguably the Coen brothers' finest effort put forth to the screen. The Coens can always be relied on to whistle to the beat of their own tune. They are devoid of routine and never deliver any aspects that seem recycled. Even though recent years have not seen the Coens at the peak of their powers, it is evident that the unique duo has not lost a single morsel of their creativity to furnish witty dialogue and engrossing characters. No Country for Old Men is a masterful piece of work with stark images, picturesque landscapes, and stupefying violence.

His name is Anton Chirgurh (Javier Bardem), a merciless killer who will mow down anyone than crosses his path, no matter how insignificant they appear. He strides across Texas looking for a briefcase filled with millions inside, and unless you are one of the lucky few (and I do mean few) who win a coin toss, you will be another victim added to his list. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a welder, who can weld anything, and one day his hunting excursion leads him to the wrong area. He stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad. The bodies are scattered, one truck is loaded with drugs, and hundreds of yards away, the corpse of the man who didn't quite flee with the cash lies for any passerby to retrieve. Llewelyn seizes this satchel, a few shiny guns, and goes home to his wife Carla Jean (Kelly Macdonald). Due to all this, and the fact that Chigurh managed to break free from a deputy, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) and bounty hunter Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) attempt to pick up the trail of blood and cash.

Javier Bardem is one of the greatest cinematic villains in history. His haircut is shoulder length, dark, and a toss up between a Dutch Boy style and something similar to Prince Valiant, though it is modeled after an 1890's brothel patron. His whole guise is unforgettable, his behavior is haunting, and his demeanor is cold and robotic in nature. Bardem uses two weapons for the most part in this film. The one is a regular shotgun with a silencer attached, and that alone is neat, and causes enough damage. However, his primary choice to murder with is a captive bolt pistol, a terrifying contraption commonly used to slaughter cattle. I don't want to spoil too much, but let's just say the first time he unleashes the vigor of this machine, you will reel back in you seat. The momentum of the blasts is so great, door locks fly into the opposite wall and leave an imprint. Bardem plays this so straight, it only adds to the oozing creepiness Chigurh exudes, and what supplements this further is listening to Carson Wells describe him. Bardem is a revelation and a shoe in for Oscar season.

My hat is off to Josh Brolin. 23 years ago, a young Brolin made his debut in a little Richard Donner film called The Goonies, and here he is now, ripe and ready for awards nominations from one of three superb roles he provided in 2007. As Llewelyn Moss, Brolin is a stubborn individual, a man who is aware of the danger he brought upon himself, yet refuses to back down, even from a heartless serial killer. In his mind, his troubles are over if he can get his wife to safety and outrun his pursuers. Out of his contributions to Grindhouse and American Gangster, this is certainly the best performance, one of profound meaning and a penetrating exterior. Beneath the wounds, the facial hair, and the torn clothing, lurks someone who should have left the money where he found it.

Tommy Lee Jones slips right into the part of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. Jones supplies that irreplaceable humor that only the Coens possess. Bell is a law enforcement figure who has been apprehending criminals for a long time. His segments are so brusquely comical and calming during all the bloodshed. It is the way Bell speaks to everyone that is captivating. Jones's Bell actually opens the film as we admire the New Mexico/Texas country. He tells a poignant story about a teenage killer he sent to the chair. This is not as passionate as his efforts on In the Valley of Elah, but still outstanding. Every several years or so Kelly Macdonald proves how underrated an actress she truly is, and in No Country she turns Carla Jean Moss into an increasingly adorable wife. Her accent is unwavering and spot on. She is the perfect spouse to Llewelyn, and the chemistry the couple has is undeniable. Last but not least is Office Space's mumbling Stephen Root, who has supplied a new marvelous range to his abilities in a bit part.

Some might make the claim that this is the best that the Coens have offered since O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Not true. That can only be said about this year because the Brothers Coen already presented us with a hilarious and splendid segment from Paris, je T'aime called "Tuleries". Every single movement of the camera is scrupulously designed in No Country. The carnage that occurs injects a level of shock to the "enth" degree. My girlfriend literally spent three quarters of the film with her hand over her face. The lines are evocative and inexpungible to the point that most of them will be highlighted and discussed in detail for decades to come. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, a frequent collaborator with the Coens, joins them again to generate beautiful, vivid, and bold photography. The lighting is so dazzlingly precise, and the manipulation of shadow is virtuoso. Carter Burwell's music is confined to specific moments, and is therefore isolated and pure. The entire crew should be commended: the make-up artists, the costume staff, the set decorators, and the editing, completed by the Coens under the name Roderick Jaynes for some reason.

No Country for Old Men is an adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel by the same name. I found myself wanting to analyze even the title, taken from the first line of the W. B. Yeats poem "Sailing to Byzantium", and compare it to the themes of the film. So what is this all about? No Country examines how souls can be corrupted, how the lack of remorse or emotion in one person can induce a domino effect of bizarre fate on everyone he encounters. This has a lot of messages and raises a lot of questions about coincidence and character. Consider bounty hunter Carson Wells, exceptionally portrayed by Woody Harrelson. He is a cocky, yet frank, person who is hired to hunt down Chirgurh. His actions and the path he takes will be nothing like one would expect.

The conclusion will frustrate those who detest open endings. You never can tell when this will be sufficient or not, but on this venture, it succeeds triumphantly. I was so immersed in this world, so overwhelmed by the skill of the filmmaking, and so fascinated by the characters that when the screen went black, it was reminiscent of coming out of a trance. The biggest issue is what genre would you place this under? It does not fall totally into any category, but that is the attraction to the Coens isn't it? No Country for Old Men simultaneously crawls under your skin, yet also connects with a steamrollering blow, and like blunt force trauma it remains there, and causes all sorts of other symptoms to arise from its genius.

The 411: This is just a great film. As I said above, it is one of the best the Coen brothers have given the cinematic world. I heard it expands into a wider release soon. Do yourself a favor and go see it. Spend the $10 or more if you have to. You won't regret it.

Final Score:  10.0   [ Virtually Perfect ]