Haunting, atmospheric and brilliant.

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2014)

There is a chilling bleakness to No Country For Old Men, a solitude to the extent that when there are signs of civilisation, it is almost a shock. The rolling dunes of West Texas cast dark silhouettes, there is very little music and when it is used, it is minimalist and non- invasive. This is a Neo-Western with no saccharine elements.
Whilst hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) stumbles upon a botched drug deal, takes the money and sets in motion a chase across Texas from a psychotic killer Anton Chigurh (Bardem) and a sheriff Ed Tom Bell(Lee Jones). Moss' change is symbolic, he goes from hunting pronghorns to being hunted himself by hit-man Chigurh, so it is not so much the loss of innocence as its realignment. Chigurh is in turn hunted by police, and the sheriff by age with his advancing years, giving the film's tag-line 'there are no clean getaways' a definite pertinence.
Dialogue is very sparingly used, there are almost no monologues and it is smart and philosophical, with Chigurh's considerations on fate particularly thought-provoking. With reflection, few lines stand out which sounds like a criticism but is actually a great credit to the film's naturalism, it does not at any moment feel forced.
Bardem is electric as Chigurh, whose hair with its ghastly yet calculated look adequately summarises his character. He is genuinely terrifying, what kind of monster would sport that hair? It is easy to overlook the strength of Brolin and Lee Jones' performances. Moss has a macho sternness with glimpses of humanity and Bell is world-weary and battered by time like the villages and dunes themselves.
Praise has to be given to the Coen Brothers for their loyalty to the source material and not submitting to the whimsy of Hollywood and changing the ending. There were a lot of complaints about it but they are misjudged. Again, the film's tag-line is apt enough description, it is a philosophical end, one that leaves the audience contemplating. Anyone who claims not to understand, good. This is exactly what is encouraged. Thought. Discussion.
No Country For Old Men is designed to resonate. there may be a sense of dissatisfaction from some quarters but it is carefully structured in order to be as impacting as possible. It is like life, which is scarcely neat and tied with a bow.