No Country for Old Men (2007)
Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
Actors: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, and Kelly Macdonald
Let me preface my review by saying that I am no Roger Ebert or Peter Travers. I am not claiming to be a connoisseur of horror movies, nor am I suggesting that I am worthy of rating films for a renowned publication. I’m simply a person who loves movies and who likes to write about “stuff”. If you are not interested in scary movies or if you don’t like reading… then delete this immediately.
The movie is No Country for Old Men. This is as good as it gets, folks. Based on the 2005 novel by Cormac McCarthy, the film was written, directed, and edited by the infamous Coen brothers. It is Fargo reinvented… add a touch of Hitchcock, a bit of the Wild Wild West , throw in some “good ole’ boys” and you’ve got yourself a Best Picture Oscar. In fact, the film won four Academy Awards… Best Director(s), Best Adapted Screenplay, the well-deserved Best Supporting Actor (Bardem), and the aforementioned Best Picture.
Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a stash (stash = truckload) of heroin, a pile of dead bodies, and $2 million cash during an ordinary hunting expedition. (If I had a dollar for every time that happened… ) He impulsively takes the money and makes a run for it, not knowing who will come looking for him. Unfortunately the “who” is a human Terminator that uses a pressurized stun gun to kill his victims. Anton Chigurh, the most villainous villain ever, is played to perfection by Javier Bardem. (Seriously, he deserves the word “villain” to be used twice for every once that his actual name is used.) Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is the aging Sherriff in town, hell-bent on tracking down both Chigurh and the money. And Woody Harrelson is great, of course, as Carson Wells, the overconfident bounty hunter.
We are taken up and down the Tex/Mex border on a wild goose chase filled with murder and mayhem. You really start to care for the characters along the way, making the film a powerhouse of empathy and fear. After all, Moss only desires a better life for his family and Sherriff Bell just wants things to be like they used to be. Aren’t these two issues that every man and woman can relate to? And Chigurh is the best psychopath we’ve seen in years. He is so ruthless that we love to hate him. (In one instance, he picks up his boots and places them on the bed while talking on the phone, trying not to dirty his leather with the blood spilling towards his feet). It’s so bad, that it’s oh so good.
The movie is a suspense/thriller, dark comedy, crime drama, character study, adventure classic. It’s simply complex. (And I know you can’t call a movie a “classic” unless it is one million years old, but trust me… this is one). Joel and Ethan Coen aren’t going anywhere and this movie is here to stay as well.
No Country reads like a who’s who of A-list actors. And I love them all. Men. In. Black. (high voice)… Men in Blaaack. (Thanks Will) “Down here it’s our time. It’s our time down here. That’s all over the second we ride up Troy’s bucket.” Oh man, that’s some good stuff. (Thanks Rudy) And if you haven’t seen Zombieland, stop reading this immediately and get to the nearest Redbox. It is awesome in every sense of the word, and includes the best cameo of the century. And Javier Bardem… between his accent and his haircut, I don’t know which I love more. Needless to say, these actors could easily carry a film through the box-office (i.e. Valentine’s Day and Ocean’s 11, 12, 13, 14, 28, and 72), but the fantastic screenplay and adaptation (so mad that I haven’t read this book!) escalate it to Oscar-status with ease.
This is a must see, no exceptions. The acting is superb, the atmosphere is spot-on, and the villain is mesmerizing. He values human life with a coin-toss, now that’s coldblooded. So what’ll it be… heads or tails?
Was No Country for Old Men scary? No.
Jami’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this movie: Yes.
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