No Country For Old Men

“ No Country for Old Men” is the first Coen Brothers film this reviewer had actually seen (I know, I know, shame on me), and it’s a fantastic one at that. The adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, the film is brutal, shocking and intensely watchable. A Texan man, Llewelyn Moss (Brolin), stumbles on the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad, and his desire to take the money he finds puts him in the crosshairs of a sadistic hitman, Anton Chigurh (Bardem), who is remorseless in his drive to get the money back. Both are pursued by a world-weary police chief who can’t believe this is the last case before his retirement (Jones).

Javier Bardem, as the assassin Chigurh, is monstrous and abhorrent, the character almost an Angel of Death in a bowl haircut. The actor’s Spanish nationality only serves to make his character seem even more out of place in deepest Texas, and the violence that the film constrains for large parts always breaks out when the killer is about (his weapon of choice a cattle gun; suitable for kids this is NOT). His performance won an Oscar, and in watching the film again, the menace sets him aside from the other men; he is pure evil in a stupid hair-do, offsetting the horror with a weirdness that makes the character all the more bizarre to watch.

Josh Brolin, as the protagonist Llewyllen Moss, emmbodies the atypical man "in the wrong place at the wrong time", and his portrayal of Moss as someone who seeks a better life and is damned for it is impressive. Look out for him in many big movies to come, but when you do, come back to this and see where the talented actor got his first big success. Tommy Lee Jones is also fantastic as the chief after both men, and his sadness and acceptance of the changing world provides the film with a moral anchor and a character with which we can sympathise. We may have seen the old, embittered detective stuff before (even from Jones: “The Fugitive” or Men In Black” anyone?), but he still convinces.

Woody Harrelson pops up here as someone sent to stop Moss, and his performance, whilst short, is interesting to the film as a whole, because we see someone who understands Chigurh, and he is our link to the mysterious murderer. Harrelson portrays the character as a man who knows what he must face, and the film benefits from his input, the comedic actor finally embracing his dramatic chops once again (particularly after his strange appearance in “Semi-Pro”).

The film seemed to be very slick, and very naturalistic in its presentation. The Coens produce a film which is many things at once; crime film, thriller, horror, action and drama, combining these genres to create a story which (whilst adapted) is presented as something distinctly unique. The stilted dialogue in the film did actually become annoying, as it seemed to dehumanise the characters. And the music is not really a part of the film, which contributes to its naturalism and sense of fear. The vistas of Texas, and the deserts and towns which make it up, provide an empty and foreboding backdrop to the narrative that complements the evil, ambigious characters and their motivations.

Whilst a short review, the film does not need nor require much more to be said about it. It is a stark and quite disheartening film that reminds us that people can be without remorse or conscience, and yet these two attributes are not only found within the killer Chigurh. The Coens present a vision of a world where anything goes and life is decided on a coin toss (a theme taken to the other extreme in “The Dark Knight” this summer). Brooding, cold and calculated, “No Country...” is a worthy Oscar winner, and a must-see for anyone who hasn’t already.

9/10