No Country for Old Men

2007 is just getting better and better as the year goes on. I don’t like to throw out rankings of 10 out of 10 but No Country for Old Men deserves it and so that is what it is going to get. Everything was on display here, acting, story, scenery; this was just a pleasure to view.

I may not be the biggest Coen Brothers fan but the quality of Fargo is something that cannot be questioned and No Country for Old Men is the equivalent or the better of that all-time great film. Not even sure where to start. Let’s go with Tommy Lee Jones. Is there an actor out there that looks more weary, worn-down, and seen it all than Mr. Jones? His narration to begin the film is pitch-perfect. Then you can see how draining it is for him to follow the aftermath of Llewelyn and Anton’s actions. I was definitely behind Tommy Lee for his performance in the movie In the Valley of Elah, but this was on a different level. Easily the greatest work of his career. Even saying that, Javier Bardem will definitely be the one that is remembered in No Country for Old Men. That haircut is enough to burn Anton Chigurh forever into your memory and that doesn’t even touch on him walking around killing folk with a slaughterhouse air gun. Chigurh is the essence of violence. There is no stopping him. There is no negotiating with him. Either he kills you or you escape … for the time being. It was just an awe-inspiring performance. Finally we come to Josh Brolin who completes his 2007 tour de force. His work here surpasses American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, and Planet Terror. It may not be as showy as Bardem or as spot-on as Jones, but what Brolin did was give the viewer a rooting interest. You follow him on his journey to keep the money while staying ahead of Chigurh. He has the right about ingenuity and desperation in each and every one of his scenes. Props to Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Root, and Garret Dillahunt (there’s that name again) all of them pop in and out of the story filling out the edges of the cast.

There is not much to say about the story. It is incredibly structured and engrossed me to the point where I wasn’t even anticipating the next steps; I was just along for the ride. The sick, twisted, violent, and bloody ride. There is such inevitability to Chigurh’s actions, that there is very little hope in No Country for Old Men. And it sure isn’t like the ending was upbeat in any way. That is my kind of story.

It was nice to know that all the hype for No Country for Old Men was not a lie. This film delivered the goods. At some point in life, everyone needs to witness Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh. His character and the movie itself is an instant classic.

10 out of 10