Writers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant, Tess Harper
Rating: R
Studio: Miramax
Release Date: March 11, 2008

Having had the opportunity to see all of the films that were nominated for Best Picture, I can honestly see why No Country for Old Men won the award. While 2007 was filled with amazing movies (some of the most amazing in a long while), No Country for Old Men stood out for its unusual story and ability to keep its audience on their toes. No Country for Old Men is an enigmatic look at life and crime in a small Texas town. There are two, main revolving storylines that intersect and intertwine to form the somewhat unsatisfying plot.

Now don’t get me wrong. I loved the movie, and this is because the plot was meant to be unsatisfying. I’ve heard quite a few people complain about the ending or blame the ending by saying it “ruined the film”. My only reply to them is “that’s life cupcake”. I don’t see any need to get mad at a movie that makes perfect sense. If No Country for Old Men pisses you off then you simply didn’t get it. Sure, you can say, “oh but I did” and spout out drivel about what you heard it was about on the Internet, but really, you still don’t get it because as unsatisfying as the climax of the film is, the overall film is truly satisfying and well told, too boot.

It’s the unsatisfying nature of the ending that makes No Country for Old Men worthwhile. To understand the film, that’s really all you need to get, for the most part. I’ve probably made some of you quite puzzled by what I’ve said thus far, but that’s how you should look at No Country for Old Men. It’s a puzzling look at the intricacies of life, which lead us, as humans, to make the decisions we make. In turn, we must deal with the consequences that are dealt out from said actions.

Release Information:
No Country for Old Men was directed by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel and was filmed during the spring and summer of 2006, for the most part. They were filming in the same area around the same time as the film’s Academy Award contender, There Will Be Blood. In fact, rumor has it, some of the explosion scenes from the latter film led to a shutdown of the No Country for Old Men set. No Country for Old Men came to theaters on November 9, 2007 after competing during its release at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2007. During its limited opening weekend, it made over a million dollars as it played in just 28 theaters. After expanding to 860 theaters, it grossed over $7 million in its opening weekend and has grossed over $72 million domestically, in the U.S. as of March 2008.

On March 11, 2008, Miramax and Paramount Classics released No Country for Old Men on DVD. The DVD is available at all major retailers both online and offline. This must have DVD is available in standard and Blu-Ray formats. This review is for the standard version, which retails for $15.99 USD on Amazon with the Blu-Ray available for $23.95 USD.

The No Country for Old Men Plot
No Country for Old Men follows three male characters through somewhat intersecting stories. Though each man has a different conscience, a different way of thinking, and a different lifestyle, their differences bring them together as they try to find a way to make their paths intersect in order to accomplish whatever goals they have. Ultimately, each man wants such an intersection to go in their favor, though, like life, the outcome of this is nearly impossible to predict.

There is Anton Chigurh (known as Chigurh and portrayed to perfection by Javier Bardem), an emotionless, murderous, psychopathic hitman. The first encounter with Chigurh occurs in the local sheriff’s office, where he quickly establishes his character by strangling the deputy who is supposed to be making sure he doesn’t escape. After the deputy is dead, Chigurh escapes and uses a cattle gun to kill a man driving the car he uses for his escape. I find it interesting that Chigurh’s name is incredibly similar to the annoyingly parasitic mites that are prevalent in areas like Texas. These little buggers personify the personality of Chigurh (he’s aptly named, that’s for sure). Like the larval chigger (who sucks the nutrients out of the skin, by piercing it), Chigurh sucks the life out of those he comes in contact with. Of course, there is one difference between a chigger and Chigurh; the power of choice.

For some, the unfeeling Chigurh has given them a chance to live or die. They don’t beg. They don’t plead. All they must do is choose between head or tails as he flips a coin. Still, Chigurh has ultimate say in whether he chooses to follow the results of the coin or not. In Chigurh’s mind their death is in fate’s hands and the choice is theirs to make, whether they will live or die. Choice and fate play a significant role with less importance on the actions that are done as more emphasis is put on why they are done and what drives Chigurh and the other characters to act.

Chigurh’s life intersects with a local resident, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who stumbles into something bigger than he can handle. Llewelyn is a simple man. He lives in a trailer with his wife, Carla Jean (Kelly MacDonald), and as he’s out hunting, he comes across a bunch of dead bodies and a truck filled with drugs. In the truck, there is a Mexican who is dying. Llewelyn essentially ignores the dying man as he searches the truck and eventually the fields nearby, where he finds a dead man under a tree with a satchel full of money. Like any logical person (or illogical if you realize this is drug money and some head of a drug cartel is gonna be pissed as they hunt you down), Llewelyn steals the satchel and returns home. At night, he feels guilty about leaving the man, so he sets out to return with some water for him. When he does, he is discovered by some Mexican reinforcements, sent in to clean up the mess, retrieve the drugs, and the money. While they sic their dog after Llewelyn, he manages to get away, though not for long.

As the sheriff’s office tries to find Chigurh, hunting for the man who killed a deputy and citizen during his getaway, the head sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones, who also serves as the story’s narrator) isn’t thrilled to find out Chigurh has been hired by the Mexicans to kill Llewelyn. Little does Llewelyn know that the Mexicans have placed a tracking device in the satchel, and Chigurh just happens to have the receiver for it. As Llewelyn tries to find a place to hide the money, he sends Carla Jean off to stay with her mother (Beth Grant) assuming she will be safe from Chigurh there.

In the meantime, Chigurh has been joined by Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson), since the Mexicans are antsy when Chigurh does not succeed in killing Llewelyn and returning the money right away. Of course, this is somewhat offensive to Chigurh who sees his work as more than just a job. It seems to be some sort of ritualistic art form, to him. As for the Sheriff, he tries to get Carla Jean to help him because he knows Llewelyn is in way over his head.

As Chigurh threatens Llewelyn, his family and his entire existence, Chigurh soon becomes the hunted, by yet another. Llewelyn knows he cannot be safe without Chigurh dead so he sets out to accomplish that goal while trying to keep Carla Jean safe. The cruel twists of fate based on the choices made by the hunters and the hunted (Bell, Llewelyn and Chigurh all fit into both roles at some point throughout the film) leads to a realistic ending. Though the story may end in such a way, the fact that this is what life is like makes the story even that more fascinating. The fact that the Coen’s focus more on what drives the characters as opposed to what the outcomes are is what makes the movie so interesting and worth watching.

The acting for No Country for Old Men is far superior to most of the drivel you see Hollywood spew out in your average year of cinema. Josh Brolin has grown remarkably as an actor, since his days as a Goonie (though that was my favorite movie growing up and I still love it). He’s nearly unrecognizable as Llewelyn (I believe I asked Ashtyn multiple times whether that really was Josh Brolin) and that is just what the role needed. With Brolin as Llewelyn, you feel somewhat sympathetic for the character, who doesn’t realize what he’s gotten himself into. When he finally figures it out, his bravado makes you want him to get away with the money and escape Chigurh. In the meantime, you know if it’s up to fate and/or the choices he’s made, it is most likely not going to end well for Llewelyn if/when Chigurh finally makes contact.

Chigurh seems to not care about the fact that he too is a hunted man. Above the law, Chigurh fears not for himself. He’ll be okay. Who would defeat the great Chigurh? If someone manages to do so, I guess he’ll leave that up to fate as well. Javier Bardem is a great actor and a lesser performance would have made a mockery of the performance he gave in this role. Of course, he’s matched in talent with the likes of Tommy Lee Jones. Still, all three men find a way to hold their own.

Jones plays a tragic character as Bell. Constantly doubting his motivation and turned off by the fact that the world is becoming decidedly more violent, Bell is as flawed as the other two characters. While their conflict is primarily external, Bell struggles internally. What is the right thing to do and why should he bother to do the right thing when life is going to follow its own path anyway? This is a valid question that is pertinent to the entire plot of No Country for Old Men. Life follows its own course and the only thing that can possibly change the course is to make a decision. Still, what is the right decision to make never becomes clear.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
No Country for Old Men features an anamorphic widescreen transfer at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This transfer is the original transfer for the movie and it’s absolutely flawless. The Coens did a nice job when they transferred the film to DVD. The picture is crystal clear. The colors are vibrant and full. There are no visible errors or flaws. This transfer looks as nice as it did in the theaters. It’s impressive and what every transfer should try to achieve.

The sound for No Country for Old Men is equally as impressive. While sound isn’t as important for a film like No Country for Old Men like it is for say, August Rush, it is nice to see that the effort was taken to include a rich, full bodied Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound English soundtrack. The English track has closed captioning available for the hearing impaired and there are subtitles available in both Spanish and French.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
I liked the bonuses presented on the No Country for Old Men DVD nearly as much as I liked the movie. The three featurettes that were taken from interviews with the cast and crew total between a half hour and 45 minutes worth of footage. The first featurette is “The Making of No Country for Old Men”. This is more than just your standard making of feature. It explores the making of quite in depth, from start to finish. “Working with the Coens” is the second featurette, and it looks at the Coens, examining their creative process and what it is like to work with them. The last featurette is “Diary of a Country Sheriff”. Those who are confused by this film can learn a lot from this featurette as it examines the plot amongst other aspects of the movie, from the perspective of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell.

Like most movies, No Country for Old Men features trailers for other movies. All in all, the featurettes enhance what is already available in this DVD package.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
No Country for Old Men was one of the best movies of 2007. While each of the Academy Award contenders were excellent, all of them were so remarkably different it is somewhat hard to pick a favorite. No Country for Old Men is a film that’s going to make you think. If you like the mindless Cameron Diaz comedies, this film isn’t going to be for you. If you’re already whining about how the ending ‘pissed you off’ this film most definitely isn’t for you. Everyone else needs to check No Country for Old Men out. Just make sure to rent it first, just in case you fall into one of the first two groups. Otherwise, this film comes very highly recommended.

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Technorati Tags: No Country for Old Men, DVD review, Academy Award, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Texas, Tommy Lee Jones

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