"No Country For Old Men"

Rating: 10/10

Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly MacDonald, Woody Harrelson

Plot: In the Texan desert, after finding $2 million near the bloody aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, hunter Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) is pursued by a cold and violent sociopath (Bardem), who will stop at nothing to retrieve the money. Meanwhile, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Jones) asks for the help of Llewelyn’s wife Carla Jean (MacDonald) in figuring out his next move before the killer can catch up with him.

The Good: Absolutely riveting performances paired with subtle, yet engaging, direction solidify this tale as an unforgettable classic. Its confident, steady pacing establishes a dominant aura of urgency that exemplifies the strongest and most valuable assets of the thriller genre.

The Bad: The somewhat abrupt conclusion may be agitating to more conventional filmgoers, who may not be able to fully recognize the genius and power of such an astounding and inconclusive finale.

The Lowdown: Based on Cormac McCarthy’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name, “No Country for Old Men” has propelled the Coen brothers (who helmed 1996’s “Fargo”) to the status of masters in the craft of storytelling. The audience is treated to a genuine serving of conflict in which men deal with the benefits and perilous consequences of greed, pride and stubbornness of their opponents as well as themselves.

The outstanding performance by Bardem brings this already brilliant masterpiece to a level of perfection. His alarming rendition of killer Anton Chigurh is horrifyingly magnificent as a man who is so efficient and natural at killing that he just may be evil personified (imagine if the Terminator actually got a kick out of his work and sometimes expressed homicidal philosophies). Anton steals every scene he’s in and his mere presence generates apprehension. The tranquility with which he carries out acts of violence and his impartiality toward tragedy transcends the likes of the average movie villain. It will be a tragedy in itself if he does not at least receive an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. He will surely go down in cinematic history as one of the greatest antagonists ever portrayed on screen.

“No Country for Old Men” will undoubtedly be an Oscar contender, and rightfully so. It’s one of those rare pieces where the talent is cast so specifically that it is near impossible to imagine any other actors fulfilling the same roles. Jones owns his part as the sheriff, a simple man trying to make sense of such a complex dilemma. Brolin gives an authentic depiction of a man who is not necessarily bad, but not a role model in the business of making sound decisions, either. When you take $2 million that doesn’t belong to you, you’ve obviously gotten yourself into a whirlwind of some sort. As the movie’s tagline says: There are no clean getaways.

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