Absolutely great for the first two thirds.

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2008)

The Coens definitely have made some of the best movies of the past two decades; I won't profess to be among their biggest fans, but it's hard to deny the likes of Fargo, Miller's Crossing and The Big Lebowski. After a dip in the form over the last few years, this film became hotly anticipated; often being touted as a 'return to form' for the Coen Brothers. Well, it is definitely a return to form and undoubtedly their best film so far this decade - but I do have to say that I'm somewhat surprised at all the praise this film has gotten. The film is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy and focuses on Llewelyn Moss, a man who is lucky enough to stumble onto a drug deal gone wrong after following a wounded animal. He soon discovers a case containing $2 million left at the scene and does what any man would do; takes the case without reporting the crime. However, he is discovered by the sadistic and psychopathic Anton Chigurh who tracks him down by any means necessary; and he has no qualms about mercilessly murdering everyone who gets in, or around, his way.
The tone of the film is very relaxed and this bodes well with the Southern setting. It's also a stark to contrast to the bulk of the plot; at its heart, No Country for Old Men is a chase movie and the Coens somehow managed to make the film relaxed and tense at the same time. Almost every supposed great film has some sort of point to make, and while this film does touch on a few; it's never very focused and to be honest left me wondering why they didn't discard any muted 'points' and stick with the thriller elements. The cast is great; it's really good to see a film that puts gritty looking actors in the leading roles and every performance is perfect - Javier Bardem is particularly great as the psychopathic killer. The film is really great for the first two thirds; the chase is thrilling, the characters are interesting and the dialogue will keep any viewer glued to the screen - but then the film takes a shocking twist and it really all goes downhill. I do like a good twist, and perhaps this one worked well in the book; but it certainly doesn't on the screen. It's a real shame too as everything about the film is working brilliantly right up until this point. Overall, this is certainly a good film; it's very well made and interesting...just a shame about the ending.