No Country for Old Men

[Jared]

Last night, I saw the year's best film. I know it's still early in the season, but "No Country for Old Men" is truly extraordinary.

Joel and Ethan Coen have struggled lately after setting high standards with "Fargo" and "Miller's Crossing," but the nihilistic directorial duo returned to form this year and reminded the public what made them great.

The Coen brothers have proved they are expert filmmakers, and "No Country for Old Men" is a perfect demonstration of their craft. Their stunning visuals -- with help from their longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins -- draw the viewer in from the opening credits.

But the story and the cast are virtually perfect across the board. For those who haven't read Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same title, the plot focuses around a poor trailer man in 1980, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who stumbles upon a drug deal gone sour somewhere in the heartland of Texas. After inspecting the carnage, he finds a huge stash of drugs and a briefcase with $2 million.

The rest of the movie is a exhilarating chase through Texas, as Llewelyn tries to keep the money and save his life from the monstrous sociopath, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).

I won't explain any more of the plot, but I must discuss the the character of Chigurh. When we look back in the history of film, Chigurh will be one of those villains that stand out in antiquity. He is truly one of the most incredible bad guys we've seen in a long time. Chigurh wanders the frontier with a silenced shotgun and a cattle stungun murdering mercilessly with absolutely no remorse or understanding. His former partner, bounty hunter Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson), simply says Chigurh doesn't have a sense of humor.

Yes, "No Country for Old Men" is violent from the beginning to end. The Coens have put violence on screen for their entire careers, and this film is no different. But the spilled blood serves a purpose, and the audience is on the edge of its seats for two hours. This is a character study about human nature, surrounding a huge sum of cash, law enforcement and the evil incarnate. I didn't even talk about Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), the sheriff who acts as the third major player in the film.

This movie will be released nationwide this weekend, and I encourage everybody to see it. With a month to go, "No Country for Old Men" sits in the clubhouse waiting for its Oscar.

[hoop de do]

Thanks for sharing Jared. I'm due for a good movie and your overview sounds like this is the one. Have a great Thanksgiving and talk to ya' later. :director: :thumbsup:

[princessjojo]

Thanks! It sounds like a great movie. I kinda look forward to it. As much as I love a great comedy, I also like those that will keep you on the edge of your seat and thinking the whole time.

[Jared]

Nobody else has seen this movie?

:(

[Jared]

I actually went to see the film a second time and loved it even more. It was so much easier to focus on the intricacies of the plot and subtleties of the dialog because I wasn't completely and utterly frightened by the evil Chigurh.

Ed Tom Bell, the county sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones, is truly the main character of the movie. He's not the protagonist -- that desgination belongs to Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) -- and he's certainly not the character audiences relate to most, but the story really belongs to Ed Tom. I wondered, at first, why Jones' character was submitted to the academy for the category of Best Actor, but I know now. There is a reason why Ed Tom opens the film with a perfect monologue about the nature of criminals atop sweeping shots of the Texas landscape. It's the same reason why he ends the movie with a whisper quiet enough to fit in the endless land he presided over for so long. Leaving the theater both times, I heard folks complaining about the ambiguous finale, which poses more questions instead of answering them. It made more sense after the second screening when I was able to breathe.

I truly hope everybody sees this film. It's in wide release now, and should be playing at any local theater. It will earn a nomination for Best Picture, and it really might win.

[NJDad]

My wife thought we'd enjoy it as soon as her mother told her how much she hated it. :secret:

We did. Mom-in-law didn't like the amount of violence, which to be fair, is more than I think my own mom would enjoy watching.

Having said that, it's great. (Not the violence, the movie).

[ChipnDaleGal]

Just doesn't sound like my kind of movie. With no Viggo Mortensen to peak my curiousity over the violence, I will wait and catch this on cable.

[mac badger]

yes, this movie was fantastic, definitely best of the year for me. i would recommend that if you are interested in seeing it, you see it at the theatre. for me, watching a movie at home it's too easy to get distracted, stop film for a snack or bathroom break. in the theatre you really get sucked in to the tension, and it was tense. i reached for my husband's hand at one point and spilled water all over us.

[Advnt05]

I also saw it this past weekend. I agree with the character being a great villian. He's surely spooky.
I'm not thinking this is the best movie of the year. I enjoyed it but thought that "Gone Baby Gone" was much better overall albeit a different type movie.
I'm one of those that didn't like the ending. I also didn't pay much attention to the last monologue not realizing that the movie was about to end so I pretty much missed what he said.

It's a good movie. Not sure that I'd call it the best.