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Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. Nothing ever goes smoothly sometimes and before you know it he's on the run from a psychopathic cold killer.
Josh Brolin: Llewelyn Moss.
Javier Bardem: Anton Chigurh.
Relentless in method, challenging in presentation, and unforgettable in execution; The Coen Brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel borders upon pure genius in its characters and suspenseful build up, but sacrifices much of the clarity (though not the power) of its narration in the strict adherence to its source material. Boasting some of the finest performances of the year, the Coen's fantastically intricate thriller demands an astute mind and a perceptive eye to decipher the multi-layered parallels that lie in No Country for Old Men.
Having watched the two Oscar heavyweights No country for old men and There will be blood round about the same time period on the big screen, I can't help noticing the sharp contrast in audio style, while Blood came with background music so overwhelming that it threatens to take over foreground, Old men had only silence, natural sound and dialogue, with no music at all. There is no right or wrong: each style serves its particular purpose. Imagine the scene in Old men with Llewelyn Moss in the middle of the night in a sunken hollow strewn with a few abandoned vehicles and dead bodies. As the menacing headlight of an ominous looking vehicle at the top of a slope threatens to approach, any kind of music would do more harm than good to the blood-chilling atmosphere present.
In their inimitable fashion, the Coen Brothers crafted this adopted story through a mesmerizing plot line that is ever elusive, giving you the slip every time you feel that you have got the hang of things. The plot line looks simple: a common young man who stumbles across two million dollars becomes the prey of a serial killer who is after the money (and his life), while a season sheriff comes after both – an almost standard cat-and-mouse story. But there are more than initially meets the eye.
Moss the everyday man protagonist is not your ordinary reckless young man next door. Seasoned Vietnam veteran, he shows his stuff when chased by a ferocious killing bloodhound, hurriedly loading his pistol but never losing control, and firing it when the canine's deadly teeth is within three feet of his throat. He is undoubtedly the prey, but not one that rolls over and play dead. But this is really the hunter's show. Javier Bardem (The sea inside) whom has won every Best Supporting Actor in sight is good enough to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money had he been put in the contest for Best Actor, to which he has every right. The most amazing thing is that while his physical appearance is at times even comical (mainly due to the ridiculous hair style), his mere presence is so chilling that it makes Jason Voorhees, Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector look like Disney villains.
''I always figured when I got older, God would sorta come inta my life somehow. And he didn't. I don't blame him. If I was him I would have the same opinion of me that he does.''
As the movie follows the standard cat-and-mouse crime thriller development, the audience may be so hung to the edge of their seats that they forget temporarily that this is indeed the Coen Brothers. The climatic showdown that they tricked you into expecting never presents itself. Everything seems to fall apart in the last third of the movie, or does it?
For some people it may do, but these certain individuals lack sophistication in plain terms; Necessary train of thought or depth albeit an ability to see between the lines. Clearly No Country is going for it's source Novel and this Story is not a straight line but one of complication, one of poetic reflection. The ending to me was a marvel, like a newly born ray of sunshine upon ones face. The words reflecting deeper meaning and wisdom, that shamefully are wasted upon mainstream audiences. For those gracious enough to embrace the ending for what it is, will certainly come off all the better for it, not to mention inspiring and awe defining.
The cat-and-mouse game ended almost as an afterthought, with none of the excitement the audience thought they had been promised. The focus has long since shifted to depiction of Bell, as one of the old men, in the title, one of disconnection and unparalleled from the main story yet ultimately part of it regardless. If you think back, most of the small roles (starting with the attendant of the now famous and memorable gas station scene at the start of the story) are old individuals. While the audience might have forgotten, the directors/screen writers have not. They haven't abandoned the concept, that this movie is trying to show why this desolate, seemingly endless horizon, Texas country is quite literally no country for old men. Added to this is the final touch, the accident; showing how karmic life and reality can be.
There was so many great scenes in No Countrythat it is hard to cover it all in a single review. The tension, the sounds, the beats, the uses of silence all are definitely used to perfection. Had me jumping on numerous occasions in the cinema, and that part with Anton waiting for his pursuer after finding the transmitter was amazingly shocking.
Without a doubt this film has you on the edge of your seat. The audience I saw this with didn't appreciate it. They didn't see the bigger picture, the gritty realism, the beautiful poetry of that ending, and if you see the words in that finale; allow them to sink in, then truly it will blow you away.
Best film of 2007-2008 I've seen to date. The level of acting and vision is unsurpassed, and it will draw you in and stay with you. Definitely want to watch again and again, there's so much crammed in this. You will soak it up like a sponge. A masterpiece. Unrivaled entertainment; a haunting thriller and an unrivaled story adaptation.
''Yeah, I'm going to bring you something, alright. I decided to make you a special project of mine. You ain't going have to come looking for me at all.''
10/10
