"There are no clean getaways..."
No Country for Old Men is an atmospheric thriller from the Coen Brothers, who previously directed, wrote, and produced Fargo, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and The Big Lebowski. This film closed off 2007 to great critical acclaim in the US, picking up 2 Golden Globes (from 4 nominations). It will surely make the Oscar shortlist for Best Motion Picture I have no doubt about that.
No Country tells the story of Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who, out hunting, stumbles upon a scene of dead bodies, guns, and drugs on the Mexican border. He finds $2 million cash and plans to begin a new life. If only. Unfortunately for him psychopathic hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bordem) is after him. The chase turns out to one of the best I can remember.
There is so much about this film that is just fantastic cinema. The settings and landscapes in the movie are dazzling and Roger Deakins can take credit for some breathtaking cinematography. The performances from the leads are superb, giving depth to rich characters whose flaws are unveiled over the film's duration. Brolin and Lee Jones expertly display their talents, but the performance of Javier Bordem as the hitman Chigurh is extraordinary. Quite possibly the most chilling portrayal of relentless, unnegotiable evil I have ever witnessed. I got a spine-tingling nervousness whenever he was on screen. While this is a particularly brutal and violent film the Coen Brothers never go overboard with gore, and the excellent interchange between explicit and implicit violence leaves you continually gripped, never knowing what you will be shown next.
Additionally, the use of sound in this film is magnificent. There is hardly any music in this film whatsoever. There are a multitude of scenes where the deliberate sparcity of sound crafts incredible suspense. Any filmmaker looking to be educated on the art of creating tension need look no further. The supremely powerful scene in which Moss and Chigurh are in the same motel, separated by a wall is honestly one of the most intense I have ever experienced in film.
All that said, this had a few niggling problems. At times I found it hard to understand a fair amount of dialogue due to the strong Texan accents. This really bothered me. Secondly, I felt the storyline would have been enhanced immensely had Tommy Lee Jones's character Sheriff Ed Tom Bell played a bigger role. However, the most significant flaw was the ending. I felt it was a massive anti-climax, especially considering all that had preceded it. I couldn't help walking away feeling slightly disappointed. It felt to me like a missed opportunity. While not a tremendous blight on the movie, for me the ending really didn't work and spoilt a potential masterpiece.
Overall, I am delighted I saw this film first in the theatre and not on DVD because the unexpected thills are truly shocking and really need a cinema to do them true justice. This will be one of the greatest cinematic experiences of 2008 and with a stronger ending, would have been an instant classic as apposed to a very, very good film. This is so close to being a 9 it hurts.
8/10
