No Country for Old Men

Young’s Review

I have been having an ongoing debate in my mind about whether or not the terrible ending to 'No Country For Old Men' ruined the film for me.

The first three-quarters of the film are mesmerizing, but the ending leaves you wondering what in the world just happened. The lady sitting in front of me turned to her husband and said 'Is it over?' when the final credits rolled. I had the same question.

I could not help but think that 'No Country' is the opposite of the cult classic 'The Usual Suspects'. In my opinion, that film was average and a bit slow most of the time but came together wonderfully with a brilliant ending. The ending made the movie.

One of the main reasons I write reviews is to let people know which films to see and which to skip. The bottom line here is that this film is brilliant in so many ways that I still think people should see it. I am giving it a 'thumbs up' despite the head scratching ending.

Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is out hunting on the Texas-Mexico border when he stumbles across a haunting scene: a mixture of guns, cars and dead bodies strewn about everywhere. Moss finds a bag full of money next to one of the victims. Moss takes the money and that’s where the action starts.

Moss foolishly returns to the crime scene later that night to bring water to the lone survivor of the attack, and finds himself on the run from a ruthless killer named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Chigurh, in turn, is being hunted by local law enforcement agent Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). The rest of the movie is a cat-and-mouse game between Moss and Chigurh, with Bell always two steps behind.

This film is the latest project from visionary filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, who are responsible for classic films such as ‘Fargo’ and ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’. The Coens adapted Cormac McCarthy’s novel for this film and also directed it. They have concocted a gripping drama that keeps the audience guessing.

Most of the film is absolutely riveting, and that is due in large part to the performances of the two main characters. Brolin and Bardem should expect phone calls from the Academy next year when Oscar nominations are handed out.

Brolin, fresh off a fantastic turn as a crooked cop in ‘American Gangster’, is at the top of his game. Moss must appear under control outwardly while always having to stay in front of his pursuer, and Brolin delivers. His cocksure confidence is in the mold of John Wayne.

Bardem has to be considered the odds on favorite for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at this point for his portrayal of Chigurh. He creates one of the scariest and most ruthless bad guys ever captured on film. A scene at the beginning where Chigurh strangles a policeman is chilling in that he seems to derive joy in draining the life out of the cop’s body. In Bardem’s hands, Chigugh is void of any sense of sentimentality or remorse. Rarely has an actor immersed himself in a character so completely.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the performance of Jones. Bell is a worn out lawman, and Jones imbues him with a sense of resignation. He is a fine actor and he is the perfect choice for this role.

I am glad I saw this film. While the ending is terribly open-ended and unsatisfying, the rest of the film is fantastic. It is very violent and dark and, despite some reviews to the contrary, not a carbon copy of ‘Fargo’. I enjoyed the film, but it is not for everyone.

Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Down

Notable Characters:
Tommy Lee Jones – Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
Javier Bardem – Anton Chigurh
Josh Brolin – Llewelyn Moss

Reason why I didn’t like it:
· Horrible ending. My mom was a music teacher for a long time. She used to tell this is story about a hand bell choir she was directing. Through the whole song they missed virtually every not except the end. The ending of the song they nailed perfectly. She would say that after the church service people were coming up and telling her how wonderfully they played. Why? The end is what people remember. It is by the end that things are judged. This movie had a crap-tastic ending which is why this is a crap movie and I don’t care what the Post-Dispatch says.

Reasons why I liked it:
· Javier Bardem was freaky. The character he played and the way he played it, in my opinion, made him one of the all-time greatest villains. He was nightmare creepy and his performance is unforgettable.
· No music. I know my awesomely talented cousin, Rob Simonsen (http://robsimonsen.com/) who has composed music for some great movies, is probably going to hate me for saying this, but the absence of music added to the suspense of the movie itself.
· Up until the end it was a good story, very realistic chain of events.

Final Notes: While this movie is being loved by virtually every critic, I for one am not drinking their Kool-aid. This movie was disappointing and no one should go see it in a theater.