A great thriller and a subtle character study.

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2009)

"No country for old men" is one of the best thrillers that I've seen in years. This is the first movie of the Coen brothers that I came upon and there's no doubt that I'll reach out for more. Their innovative writing and masterful story telling techniques has made quite an impression on me to check out their much earlier films.
The story follows a poor farmer (played wonderfully by Josh Brolin) who came across a suitcase of money in a drug deal gone wrong and his struggle to steer his life away from the villainous Anton Chigur. A man with a terrifying smile, who travels across Texas, carrying a cattle gun, destroying anything that would cause him any inconvenience when it comes to acquiring the briefcase. It is hard to even imagine such a man could exist, but then again its not. This may sound as quite a simple story but then again the great masters such as Ozu and Bresson used simple stories to create innovative work. It is through their simplicity that they evoked such powerful emotions in the characters as well as in the audience. Here the Coen brothers follow the same route. It is flawlessly shot to the point that it's suspense would without a doubt hold you at the edge of the seat. The photography of the stark beautiful western landscape and creative writing are two more aspects of the film that deserves much admiration.