10 Reasons You Should See No Country for Old Men
Posted on November 29, 2007
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Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of the Coen Brothers and couldn’t wait to see No Country for Old Men. Well, I had to wait a while to see it (family obligations over the holiday), but I did finally see it this week.
I was a little worried that this flick wouldn’t live up to the hype, but it did - the Coen Brothers are back! If you haven’t seen it and/or are on the fence about seeing it, here are 10 reasons (in no particular order) why you should. Don’t worry, any spoilers contained in this list are minor. That being said, I do discuss the ending in very general terms at the end of the list. You have been warned.
1. The Story
The story is a given, but special mention is necessary. For those of you who don’t know, No Country for Old Men is based on the book of the same name by Cormac McCarthy (in fact, much of the film is taken word-for-word from the book). I haven’t read the book, but plan to do so.
This is more than just a suspenseful crime/chase movie. There are several themes running through this flick. I am not going to discuss those here because it is so interesting to see everything develop on screen. Plus, I hate spoilers and want to keep them to an absolute minimum for those who haven’t seen this movie yet. Simply put - this is storytelling at its best.
2. Javier Bardem (Anton Chigurh)
One of the best all-time villains, period. Anton Chigurh is a killer with his own ethics and principals which, stay with me here, at times you can understand and at times you have no clue what is going on in his head, which makes him one of the scariest villains ever put on screen. Sometimes there is just no explanation why someone is the way they are and Chigurh is one of those people.
Bardem is excellent in this flick. You can’t take your eyes off of him. Great performance.
3. Josh Brolin (Llewelyn Moss)
Josh Brolin has elevated his game. Brolin shows some true acting chops as Llewelyn Moss, the “lucky” guy who finds $2 million in the desert after a gun battle that left everyone dead. There is nothing over the top about this performance - he is cool, collected and you believe that he is capable of getting himself out of the mess he created.
4. Tommy Lee Jones (Sheriff Ed Tom Bell)
Tommy Lee Jones has a tendency to over do it, but not in this flick. He is perfect as the Sheriff wanting nothing more than to save Llewelyn from certain death, all the while trying to understand what has become of his “country.” Probably my favorite performance by Mr. Jones.
5. The Slow/Interesting/Exciting Start
No Country starts slow, but not really. The Coen brothers do an amazing job of setting the story in motion, developing tension and creating some real thrills as No Country gets rolling.
6. Figuring It Out on Your Own
Don’t you hate it when filmmakers feel the need to tell you everything? As if the audience is too dumb to figure things out. There’s none of that here. The filmmakers take you on a journey and allow you to figure things out on your own. Movies like this are fun to think about, dissect and discuss.
7. Tension/Suspense
There are some INTENSE scenes in this flick during which you will be on the edge of your seat and/or gripping your arm rest. The Coens’ film-making is brilliant in this regard - sometimes you see what’s coming and sometimes you don’t. Either way, you will feel your heart pounding in your chest.
8. The Supporting Cast
From Llewelyn’s wife Carla Jean (played wonderfully by Kelly Macdonald) to the various interesting characters along for the ride, you genuinely care about these people - especially when they come face-to-face with Chigurh . It doesn’t matter whether they are on screen for three minutes or the length of the film, you can’t help but feel for them knowing what you know about this psychopath.
9. Necessary Violence
Violence is essential to this story. That being said, in certain flicks a little violence goes a long way. The Coen Brothers do an amazing balancing act and show just enough violence to get their point across without it becoming gratuitous.
10. The Ending
You will either love it or hate it. I loved it because it brought everything into focus for me. Others hated it which, to be honest, I can also understand. Either way, it’s still a great ride.
If you’ve seen this flick I’d love to hear what you think. If you haven’t, hopefully you will now. Here is a different trailer than I originally posted if you need more convincing.
Tags: anton chigurh, coen brothers, cormac mccarthy, javier bardem, josh brolin, kelly macdonald, llewelyn moss, no country for old men, sheriff ed tom bell, tommy lee jones, villains
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5 Responses to “10 Reasons You Should See No Country for Old Men”
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10 Reasons You Should See No Country for Old Men : Flicks Lists…
Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of the Coen Brothers and couldn’t wait to see No Country for Old Men. Well, I had to wait a while to see it (family obligations over the holiday), but I did finally see it this week.
I was a litt…
It’s at the very top of my list. Maybe I’ll get to catch it this weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
As always, thanks for the comment Jason! Let me know what you think if you get a chance to see it.
Alright, already! You convinced me. I’ll watch the movie!
I really liked the preview on TV, but your review clinched it.
Great Tim! Let me know what you think.