|
|
|
No
Country For Old Men
(2007)
The Coen Brothers' latest film can be summed up in one word: brilliant.
Texas, 1980. Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is out
hunting when he comes across the results of a drug deal gone
bad--several dead men, a truck full of heroin, and $2 million in cash.
He takes the cash, which immediately places him in the fatal path of
hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who also wants the money.
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) investigates the drug killings,
coming to the realization that Moss took the money and his life is now
in danger.
Screenwriters/directors (also editors and co-producers) Joel and
Ethan Coen (Miller's Crossing, Fargo) generally remain faithful to
Cormac McCarthy's novel while placing their own unique signature on
the material. The dialog is sparse but revelatory. The story is
bleak but a vein of sardonic humor lurks just below the surface. It's
a dark thriller that owes a debt to the film noir and western genres,
while it projects itself onto the cinema screen with an unwillingness
to conform to a conventional narrative path.
The Coens suggest that exploring the forces of fate that draw the
characters into the same orbit is more important than neatly tying
things up at the end, and they're correct. Real life isn't as neat as
a bow on a Christmas package. Real life is messy and usually leaves
us with more questions than answers. So does No Country for Old
Men, and therein lies its brilliance.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who has collaborated with the Coens
since 1991's Barton Fink, captures the nihilistic mood of the
material with simple and realistic lighting, along with careful
framing of each shot. Production designer Jess Gonchor (Capote,
The Devil Wears Prada) and costume designer Mary Zophres (Fargo,
Lions for Lambs) credibly evoke the place and time of Texas in 1980.
The minimalist score by Carter Burwell (Fargo, Before the Devil
Knows You're Dead) perfectly suits the starkness of the story.
The cast of No Country is superb. Brolin is outstanding as Moss, revealing
more about his character through body language than dialog. He remains a
sympathetic lead throughout, adding impact to the story as the dark
clouds of inevitability form above his head. Bardem is disturbing as
the remorseless and seemingly unstoppable assassin tracking Moss.
Some of his scenes will send shivers down your spine. Jones is pitch
perfect as the aging lawman whose investigation triggers an
existential crisis in his life. Also noteworthy for their
performances are Woody Harrelson as a second hitman tracking Moss,
Kelly Macdonald as Moss' wife, Garret Dillahunt as Sheriff Bell's
eager deputy, Barry Corbin as Bell's uncle, and Rodger Boyce as the
Sheriff of El Paso.
No Country for Old Men is easily one of the elite films of 2007.
It also proves once again that the Coen Brothers are some of the most
strikingly creative filmmakers of this era. It's difficult to single
out one of their films as the best, but without a doubt this one is a
highly qualified candidate.
|
|
|
|
All contents ©
2004-2007 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
|
|
 |
Director:
Ethan
Coen & Joel Coen
Writer: Ethan
Coen, & Joel Coen, Cormac McCarthy
Starring: Josh
Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt
Distributor: Miramax
Films
Runtime: 122
min
Rating: R
Release Date: November
21, 2007
|
|
 |
|
