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‘No Country’ dazzles
Coen brothers latest is nothing short of a gem
By Marty Sliva
‘No Country for Old Men’ is methodical. It asks questions to the audience and gives them ample time to contemplate answers.
Joel and Ethan Coen add another masterpiece to their resume with the subtle but brilliant film, “No Country for Old Men.”
The Brothers Coen, whose previous gems include “Miller’s Crossing,” “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski,” directed and adapted the film based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy.
The story is superficially simplistic, yet contains the hidden depth of all of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s previous works.
While hunting in the barren wastelands of southwest Texas, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) comes across a crime scene riddled with dead bodies, pounds of heroin and a satchel containing over $2 million in cash.
Things go awry when the owner of the money sends out hoards of nameless minions and one sociopath described as, “the ultimate badass,” to retrieve his money. Said badass is played by Javier Bardem, who delivers the goods as the soon-to-be iconic hit-man, Anton Chigurh.
A philosophical murderer, Chigurh oftentimes waxes poetic regarding the nature of destiny and fate before offing his sometimes random victims with a variety of weapons. The most notable of these is a cattlegun that uses pressurized air to shoot a small metal rod through the brain.
He’s described by one character as the kind of man who would, “kill you just for inconveniencing him.” With a moppy head of hair that looks like his mother had just given him a bowl-cut, Chigurh methodically creates tension throughout every scene of the film.
Always one step behind the cat-and-mouse action is Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, played with thoughtful deliberation by Tommy Lee Jones. A voice of reason in a world gone to hell, Jones is the character the audience can relate with most, if only because he is as out of place in the madness of situation as they are. He is a man born and bred in a world leagues apart from the insanity he is following.
The film boasts one of the best ensemble casts in recent memory. Every character is imbued with an inherent calm that is beautifully contrasted with the various moments of madness peppered throughout the film. Kelly Macdonald, who plays Llewelyn’s soft-spoken wife, is able to create a real relationship with her husband in a scant few scenes. The always interesting Woody Harrelson does an excellent job as a killer hired to follow Chigurh. Seeing the two men with the same profession, yet completely different outlooks on life, provides a beautiful contrast into the world of the film.
The notable absence of music is as powerful as any score this year. The silence causes the audiences to creep forward in their seats, paying even more attention to sounds of the wind.
“No Country for Old Men” is methodical. It asks questions to the audience and gives them ample time to contemplate answers.
The final half-hour of the film is memorable in the fact that it will completely polarize audiences. Normal cinematic expectations are thrown out the window in favor of following the conclusion of McCarthy’s novel verbatim.
What would be the climactic battle of the film is completely glossed over in favor of showing the audiences the aftermath and having the viewer imagine the carnage themselves.
By the time the houselights come on, the audience is absolutely exhausted. The constant tension causes the viewer to focus so much on what is about to happen that they oftentimes find themselves not appreciating the beauty of the moment.
When viewed a second time, one is able to marvel at the expert direction, nuanced performances and stunning cinematography that make this film simply one of the finest experiences of the year.
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