No Country for Old Men

Talk about a comeback for the Coen brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen have given us some of the most interesting films of the past decade. They went from The Hudsucker Proxy to Fargo to The Big Lebowski to Oh Brother, Where Art Thou to The Man Who Wasn’t There. I love all of these films. They floundered a bit with George Clooney’s Intolerable Cruelty and Tom Hanks’ Ladykillers, but they are definitely back to true form. Of course, up till now, Fargo was considered their masterpiece; but their newest film, No Country for Old Men gives it some serious competition.

The Coen brothers wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy which is different for them since they are used to writing their own original material. Now I haven’t read the novel (big surprise), but the movie is supposed to be a pretty faithful adaptation. What’s interesting is that the film is still distinctly a Coen brothers movie in their unique filming style, fascinating characters and engaging storyline. These guys know how to perfectly mix suspense, drama and humour. As a video editor, I truly enjoyed watching the brilliant cutting of this cat and mouse chase across Texas.

What I found fascinating about No Country for Old Men was that it almost seemed like two different styles of filmmaking. The Coen brothers take their time in the first half of the film. The pace is slower but not annoying like some other films. We are treated to some Fargo-esque atmosphere with the dust replacing the snow. There is hardly any dialogue in the first half as we are treated to character introductions and the silent chase between hunter and prey. The second half speeds up. The editing forces us to imagine some of the killings. We are shown a larger variety of interesting characters. And the timeline begins to jump further ahead. Keeping the pace is the beautiful cinematography work provided by Coen brothers regular Roger Deakins. I loved how much attention was given to boots in this film. There are some inspired shots of boots among scuff marks, blood creeping towards a pair of boots and the slow removal of boots to reveal some ghastly wound. Deakins’ lighting is also masterful when it comes to scenic wilderness shots or the perfect silhouette.

Of course, what will grab most people, and probably stick with them for a while, is the chilling performance of Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) as Anton Chigurh. I know I’m not the first to say this but Chigurh is the best villain since Hannibal Lechter. During his first kill on screen, Bardem makes a face that is so disturbing, I still see flashes of it in my mind. Chigurh is one of those psychopaths who always remain calm whether it be mowing down victims with his high-powered air gun or having a quiet discussion on keeping one’s promises. Bardem is a treat to watch and should be getting a nomination come Oscar time. I also have to say that his haircut is simply dreadful.

Josh Brolin is having a great year. He has made some smart choices with a role in Grindhouse’s Planet Terror and American Gangster. Now he plays a clever hunter who foolishly thinks he can get away with walking off with two million dollars. With the unfortunate name of Llewelyn, Brolin hold his own while trying to escape from Bardem’s Chigurh. All his actions are purposeful and create a rich character without having to use much dialogue.

Tommy Lee Jones is perfectly cast as Ed Tom Bell, the local sheriff who has a hard time adjusting to the violent state of the world. Jones is at his best when he is sharing his vast knowledge with others, namely his deputy played by Garret Dillahunt (Damages, John From Cincinnati). The narration of Jones pulls the whole film together with his commentary on violence and how things have changed.

Like most Coen brothers films, each character is fully drawn and given a chance to shine; gas station attendants, motel owners, border guards and boys on bikes are given fun lines and deemed just as important as the main characters. Woody Harrelson puts in some time as a slick bounty hunter and I wish I could have seen him more in this picture. I love his drawl.

No Country for Old Men has everything going for it: acting, script, cinematography, lighting and even sound design. This is a must see movie, assuming you can stand some brutally violent scenes. I’m thinking that No Country for Old Men is the current benchmark for how a suspense film should be done. This is a movie that will definitely stick with you long after the silent credits roll.