2008 Woodie Awards
Film review:'No Country for Old Men'
Coen brothers are at top of their game
Andy Bockelman
Issue date: 11/26/07 Section: Entertainment
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For those not interested in the typical barrage of family-oriented films released around Thanksgiving, comes the evocative "No Country for Old Men."
While he is out hunting in the middle of the desolate Texas terrain, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) discovers an apparent massacre. All indications point to a slaughter fueled by drug dealing, and in addition to the numerous casualties, he also finds a satchel containing $2 million. Moss pilfers the money without much thought, but it quickly dawns on him that the disappearance of such a huge amount of cash will not go unnoticed. As he plans his escape, hired killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is hot on his trail, willing to do anything to get back the funds that Moss stole. Meanwhile, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who also narrates the story, is keeping tabs on Moss, with only an inkling of the danger that Chigurh poses to everyone in his path.
Brolin excels in the same kind of gritty role which he has played as of late in films like "Grindhouse" and "American Gangster." However, no matter how antagonistic Moss is by nature, there is no doubt that Chigurh (not to be pronounced as "sugar") is the one to fear.
Bardem portrays the resourceful assassin with an effectively disturbing air; not only is the character deadly with a cattlegun (his weapon of choice for virtually everything in his work), his grim visage is nothing if not petrifying.
In a roundabout way, Sheriff Bell is the main character of the story, with Jones doing his usual stellar job as the philosophical sheriff. Adding to the prominent cast are Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Barry Corbin and Stephen Root.
As the latest from ever-dependable Joel and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men" is one of the best films of the year. The Coen brothers have always known how to make a top-quality feature, be it a segment of the recent multi-director collaboration "Paris, je t'aime" or comedy-driven movies such as "The Ladykillers" and "Intolerable Cruelty." Most of their acclaim is in relation to their more serious work such as the debut "Blood Simple" or the authoritative "Fargo," both of which are echoed in the tone of their newest movie.
As with all of the Coens' films, there is still a substantial amount of humor to be derived, mostly due to Bell's unusually jocular approach to his investigation. This blend of dark wit and hair-raising suspense makes for a highly successful and engrossing show.
Triumphantly adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, "No Country for Old Men" is the Coen brothers at the top of their game; there is no doubt that it will be remembered as one of the pair's best offerings.
- Andy Bockelman is a senior theatre studies major and The Mirror's pop-culture columnist.
While he is out hunting in the middle of the desolate Texas terrain, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) discovers an apparent massacre. All indications point to a slaughter fueled by drug dealing, and in addition to the numerous casualties, he also finds a satchel containing $2 million. Moss pilfers the money without much thought, but it quickly dawns on him that the disappearance of such a huge amount of cash will not go unnoticed. As he plans his escape, hired killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is hot on his trail, willing to do anything to get back the funds that Moss stole. Meanwhile, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who also narrates the story, is keeping tabs on Moss, with only an inkling of the danger that Chigurh poses to everyone in his path.
Brolin excels in the same kind of gritty role which he has played as of late in films like "Grindhouse" and "American Gangster." However, no matter how antagonistic Moss is by nature, there is no doubt that Chigurh (not to be pronounced as "sugar") is the one to fear.
Bardem portrays the resourceful assassin with an effectively disturbing air; not only is the character deadly with a cattlegun (his weapon of choice for virtually everything in his work), his grim visage is nothing if not petrifying.
In a roundabout way, Sheriff Bell is the main character of the story, with Jones doing his usual stellar job as the philosophical sheriff. Adding to the prominent cast are Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Barry Corbin and Stephen Root.
As the latest from ever-dependable Joel and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men" is one of the best films of the year. The Coen brothers have always known how to make a top-quality feature, be it a segment of the recent multi-director collaboration "Paris, je t'aime" or comedy-driven movies such as "The Ladykillers" and "Intolerable Cruelty." Most of their acclaim is in relation to their more serious work such as the debut "Blood Simple" or the authoritative "Fargo," both of which are echoed in the tone of their newest movie.
As with all of the Coens' films, there is still a substantial amount of humor to be derived, mostly due to Bell's unusually jocular approach to his investigation. This blend of dark wit and hair-raising suspense makes for a highly successful and engrossing show.
Triumphantly adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, "No Country for Old Men" is the Coen brothers at the top of their game; there is no doubt that it will be remembered as one of the pair's best offerings.
- Andy Bockelman is a senior theatre studies major and The Mirror's pop-culture columnist.
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