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No Country for Old Men

When asked what genre No Country for Old Men falls into, the cast cannot even land on a decisive category. The conclusion was drawn that the Coen Brothers have pretty much formed their own genre and No Country for Old Men built on previous trademarks of the directors.

The Coen Brothers’ recent release is a perfect mixture of humor, suspense and sensational performances to make for one explosive movie experience.

No Country for Old Men is set in a small desolate town in west Texas in 1980 run by Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). One day a hunter, Llewyan Moss (Josh Brolin), stumbles upon a drug deal gone horribly wrong as all members are dead at the scene. Moss scopes the place out, eventually finding a satchel of $2 million dollars. He takes it and is pursued by a diabolical psychopath, Anton Chigurgh (Javier Bardem), armed with a highly pressurized weapon that kills cattle. The tension and body count continues to rise as Moss runs from Chigurgh and Sheriff Bell struggles with his inability to deal with this new wave of brutality.

The notorious Coen Brothers, they seemed to be on top of their game here as they collected three Oscars apiece, including the coveted Best Picture of 2007. The talented duo struck gold as they adapted the novel to utilize their flairs for great camerawork and dialogue from peculiar characters with the suspense and tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Moments of silence are brilliantly used to create unbearable, nail-biting tension that foreshadows the impending doom of the characters. Certain scenes petrify viewers with the suspense geared by the slow progression, that’s well executed as it unfolds as a masterful thriller highlighting filmmaking at its best. The standout would have to be Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurgh who earned an Oscar for his embodiment of evil as he is more than just a sadistic, sinister psychopath. This performance is haunting as you can see the evil in his eyes and could be the greatest villain since Anthony Hopkin’s Hannibal Lector.

It’s the nature of the amoral kind, like Chigurgh, that makes this Texas border town a new sort of reckless anarchy that Sheriff Bell is unable to move with the times on. Tommy Lee Jones is great as the top law. It’s through him that the Coens’ witty dialogue flows out. That’s not to say that it can’t be found in Moss or the others. Brolin is excellent as the model cowboy whose life has been spent observing the good nature of life, but is altered when he comes across a satchel of money as he hopes to make he and his wife’s life better.

The story is a compelling and gripping thriller that squeezes and doesn’t let go. To avoid spoilers, my advice for all who watch this film, is to listen very carefully. This is one sure not to be missed.

Written by: John Berkowitz

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