Brilliant and thoughtful movie.

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2008)

The Cohen brothers have made some brilliant movies over the years - Fargo, Blood Simple, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink to name a few. Now to add to the list there is No Country For Old Men. Simply put, it's one of the best movies I've seen in years.
Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, it follows 3 main characters : Llewelyn Moss, who discovers the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, and takes off with the money. He's being chased by a killer Anton Chigurh who not only wants the money, but will kill anyone who gets in his way. Chasing them both is Sheriff Bell who begins to realise that what he's chasing is something he can barely understand.
The acting is superb. Josh Brolin shows here, as he did in American Gangster, that he is becoming a very good actor. Tommy Lee Jones gives another excellent performance as Sheriff Bell. Kelly MacDonald as Moss's wife shines in a small role, but the standout performance is Javier Bardem as Chigurh. Soft spoken, yet totally terrifying he dominates the movie.
The script gives all the actors plenty to chew on, with most of the dialogue lifted straight from the novel. It's a brilliant adaptation.
Directed by both Ethan and Joel Cohen, they keep the movie gripping, with some impressive shoot-out sequences. Roger Deakins's cinematography is stunning. The look of the open desert and empty locations is brilliant.
There has been some comments regarding a key plot moment at one point, and also the ending of the movie. Without giving anything away, I will say to those wondering, it is the same in the novel, but if you pay attention, it all makes sense at the end.
I don't think it's the best Cohen brothers movie. Personally I still think Miller's Crossing is their best. However this is one of the best movies to come from Hollywood in years.