Joel and Ethan Coen Return to Form
No Country for Old Men is a riveting and powerful thriller that recalls two the Coens’ best, Fargo and Blood Simple. It is as compelling and suspenseful a thriller as I have seen in a long time. It is near perfect as a Coen film can be, as any film can be, regardless of what viewers think about film's unexpected ending.
Josh Brolin is Llewellyn Moss, a hunter who stumbles upon the bloody remains of a drug transaction gone bad, and makes off with a case full of money. He doesn't get far before Anton, a ruthless killer played to chilling effect by Javier Bardem, is hot on his trail. Moss packs his wife off to her mother’s, absconds with the cash, and that’s when things get interesting. And go terribly wrong for just about everyone in this film.
The local sheriff, played by Tommy Lee Jones, is pressed with finding both Moss and Anton, following the bloody trail of murder, death and destruction left in Anton’s wake. Jones stands out in this film, delivering a strong, even-handed performance as Sheriff Bell, his quiet speech peppered with terse, sometimes bleakly funny Coenesque dialogue. The stark west Texas landscapes and minimalist dialogue create a subdued canvas onto which the filmmakers weave a violent tale rife with nail-biting tension and an ending Mike and I discussed for hours afterward.
Many critics are calling No Country for Old Men the Coens’ best film. It very well may be. It’s certainly one of the best films I’ve seen this year.
The local sheriff, played by Tommy Lee Jones, is pressed with finding both Moss and Anton, following the bloody trail of murder, death and destruction left in Anton’s wake. Jones stands out in this film, delivering a strong, even-handed performance as Sheriff Bell, his quiet speech peppered with terse, sometimes bleakly funny Coenesque dialogue. The stark west Texas landscapes and minimalist dialogue create a subdued canvas onto which the filmmakers weave a violent tale rife with nail-biting tension and an ending Mike and I discussed for hours afterward.
Many critics are calling No Country for Old Men the Coens’ best film. It very well may be. It’s certainly one of the best films I’ve seen this year.
Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly MacDonald, Stephen Root, Tess Harper; written, produced, edited and directed by the Coen Brothers. ***** out of 5.
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