Unconventional Cohen Style

Rating: 8/10 (4 March 2008)

I'm a hardcore Lebowski guy. No Country is a great movie, but it's no Lebowski. But then what is? And never mind that comparing the two movies would be like a comparison between a rabid rhinoceros and say, a bowl of oatmeal. But I still believe strongly that if any Cohen movie deserves best pic, it's Lebowski. It was just the right time, the right set of circumstances for them to get the nod for their latest work, which is well deserved, but feels more like a lifetime achievement award than a best pic/best director. I'm impressed, however, that the Oscar would go to a couple of my 'against the grain' film-making heroes and for such a dark, brutal film no less. Maybe things haven't completely given way to shmaltz and fluff in the motion picture academy?
But what about No Country? As a long time admirer, I'm biased towards the Cohens so I loved it (more than many perhaps) for that reason alone. I wouldn't quite say that it's the Cohens at the height of their powers, but they definitely explored another avenue with this one. There's hardly a trace of the bizarre, deadpan humor that one has come to expect from a Cohen movie (even the often brutal Miller's Crossing had some chuckle-inducing moments). No, they definitely turned down another street with this one, a very dark, scary street.
The signature Cohen way of giving the 'chaos and randomness' feel of real life occurrences to circumstances of fiction (even some of the most outlandish scenarios - as they've done in the past) is present, though. And when the Cohens apply their special brand of realism to violence, it produces some of the most frightening scenes of bloodletting in cinema...scenes that can't really be matched (unless you're Cronenberg or Kubrick). I love violent movies that shock you into thinking..."man what would that be like if it were happening to me?" or "That's probably what it would be like if it were really happening." I think that's what really kept the movie afloat for me. It brought back some of the things I liked about Cronenberg's History of Violence, but No Country is a lead foot on the throttle when it comes to violence. Incredible. This movie sports some of the most realistic gunshot wound effects I've ever seen in film, and I've seen lots...I mean LOTS of movies depicting people getting shot. The movie's other main strong point is the the tight, relentless focus. Nothing is ever taken away from the nitty gritty of what is happening. The pacing, even when it slows to a meandering 'observing moments of a character' scene, never takes its eyes off what is unfolding between Brolin, Barden, TL Jones. I liked that a lot.
The Cohens take liberties in No Country, and I sensed that they were indulging themselves a bit at times. But if you're a fan of their work, you'll appreciate this movie for many things that would skip past the uninitiated. They were indeed toying with the audience, but if you like Cohen bros. movies, then you like getting toyed with.