No Country for Old Men
2007. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly MacDonald, and Woody Harrelson.
"You don't have to do this." "Everybody says that."
The Coen Brothers, that brilliant, quirky duo living in their own comic world, have returned to glory and yet disappeared at the same time. It is not that the Coen Brothers haven't been making some darn good movies since they possibly made the best film of 1996 and one of the best films of our times in Fargo. The lovable goofiness of O' Brother, Where Art Thou? and the style and intrigue of The Man Who Wasn't There come to mind. In fact, I have yet to see a Coen Brothers film that wasn't at least interesting and fun. But No Country for Old Men makes them major players in the hunt for the year's best picture in a way they haven't accomplished since Fargo. At the same time, the Coen Brothers are virtually invisible within their work for perhaps the first time. The story takes over and the Coen Brothers confidently and quietly guide it.
It is a brutal, tense, and exciting journey into the darkness of humanity. Money, way too much to not be missed, is found amongst a trail of dead bodies. Unable to help himself, Llewelyn Moss takes the money and will never be able to stop running because Anton Chigurh, one of the most memorable villains to ever grace the screen, will never stop hunting him. Javier Bardem ensures that his portrayal of Chigurh will never leave your mind, while Josh Brolin is terrific as Moss and Tommy Lee Jones quietly does some of his best work. No Country for Old Men is a thrilling movie with terrific acting, crisp dialogue, and some very unusual choices. Your attention will never wander. The Coen Brothers have crafted another masterpiece.
My grade: A
"You don't have to do this." "Everybody says that."
The Coen Brothers, that brilliant, quirky duo living in their own comic world, have returned to glory and yet disappeared at the same time. It is not that the Coen Brothers haven't been making some darn good movies since they possibly made the best film of 1996 and one of the best films of our times in Fargo. The lovable goofiness of O' Brother, Where Art Thou? and the style and intrigue of The Man Who Wasn't There come to mind. In fact, I have yet to see a Coen Brothers film that wasn't at least interesting and fun. But No Country for Old Men makes them major players in the hunt for the year's best picture in a way they haven't accomplished since Fargo. At the same time, the Coen Brothers are virtually invisible within their work for perhaps the first time. The story takes over and the Coen Brothers confidently and quietly guide it.
It is a brutal, tense, and exciting journey into the darkness of humanity. Money, way too much to not be missed, is found amongst a trail of dead bodies. Unable to help himself, Llewelyn Moss takes the money and will never be able to stop running because Anton Chigurh, one of the most memorable villains to ever grace the screen, will never stop hunting him. Javier Bardem ensures that his portrayal of Chigurh will never leave your mind, while Josh Brolin is terrific as Moss and Tommy Lee Jones quietly does some of his best work. No Country for Old Men is a thrilling movie with terrific acting, crisp dialogue, and some very unusual choices. Your attention will never wander. The Coen Brothers have crafted another masterpiece.
My grade: A
posted by Keith Allison at 10:32 PM
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