No Country for Old Men

Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Tess Harper, Garret Dillahunt

Dirs. Ethan & Joel Coen
Scr. Ethan & Joel Coen (based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy)

I’m willing to put a large sum of money on the likelihood of No Country for Old Men being in my top ten of 2008, despite the fact it’s only the second film I’ve seen this year. This is a finely crafted, perfectly paced, intelligent and rewarding film. The Coen Brothers seemed to have lost their way in recent years (with the disappointing Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty). With this film, however, Ethan and Joel have once again given us an absolute classic.

No Country for Old Men is a story of violence and madness and fate. Local hunter Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) stumbles across a drug sale gone wrong – including a suitcase filled with cash. The film follows his desperate attempt to get away from a ruthless killer (Bardem) intent on retrieving the money, alongside Sheriff Bell (Jones) who is trying to both piece together the bloody events and understand what is driving those involved. Moss, obviously, is driven by a large amount of money. But the real enigma in this film is Anton Chigurh – a contract killer, a true psychopath. A man who will decide the future of another on a coin toss. A man who kills with glee in his eyes.

The performances in No Country for Old Men are absolutely spot-on, without exception. Tommy Lee Jones, as the weathered sheriff with sad eyes and a profound turn of phrase, gives exactly the performance that we would expect from such an experienced and accomplished actor. You just can’t help to really feel for a man who feels defeated by a new generation and breed of criminal. Woody Harrelson gives a fine performance as a fellow contract killer sent after Chigurh – he injects humour and charisma into his small role. Josh Brolin (as instant millionaire Moss) is somewhat of a surprise. For me, Brolin was always a forgettable face in the supporting cast of a usually mediocre movie (with the notable exception of the recent American Gangster). But in No Country for Old Men his performance is perfect - Moss is a somewhat hapless man, with an odd sense of invincibility. Brolin succeeds in making Moss incredibly likeable, an “average joe” that the audience truly wants to see make a clean getaway. The performance that will stay with you long after the film is over, however, is that of Javier Bardem as Chigurh. Perhaps a bit of an unknown to many, Bardem is a Spanish-born actor who has a fine string of films (many foreign) behind him. He is blessed with an incredibly expressive face and the skill to use it in both an incredibly subtle and frighteningly exaggerated way. The early scene in which Chigurh strangles a deputy sheriff is a fine example of the latter – an utterly disturbing image. Bardem is amazing in this film – creepy, charismatic, ruthless, philosophical. We never quite understand what drives him, but you can’t help but suspect it is something incredibly profound and utterly convincing.

The other star of No Country for Old Men is the script. The Coen Brothers are known for smart, quirky, dark dialogue, and this film is a fine example of their skill. The turn of phrase is at times hilarious, at times profound, at times ridiculous, and at times so very sad. The language is a hugely important aspect of the film and its characters. Just like the Minnesota accent in Fargo, the Texan way of speaking and expressing gives No Country for Old Men a very particular and memorable flavour. It will certainly be a screenplay worth reading, as well as a movie worth seeing.

No Country for Old Men is basically a flawless film. The bursts of violence will not be to everyone’s taste. But you don’t mind a bit of blood, see this movie. This is film-making at it’s finest – so tense and compelling and funny and profound. For me, the finest Coen Brothers film is still Fargo, but No Country for Old Men is a damn close second and I can’t wait to see it again. And again.

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Wendell: That's very linear Sheriff.
Sheriff Bell: Well, age will flatten a man.