There Are No Clean Getaways

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2007)

by Jake Ray
Imagine you are walking through a deserted desert and you happen to come across a bunch of dead Mexicans  the result of a drug deal gone wrong. Trying to escape the scene of this crime, you see a briefcase containing $2 million of dirty money. What do you do? Do you pick it up, or leave it?
This is the emotional quandary put upon cowboy Llewellyn Moss in the new Golden Globe nominated Coen Brothers masterpiece No Country for Old Men.
Based off of the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, the film was a gritty breath of fresh air.
The film itself sported a cast that rivaled that of The Departed. Tommy Lee Jones (Batman Forever) gives the performance of his career as Ed Tom Bell, the aging sheriff of a small Texas county. In my humble opinion, Jones was snubbed when his name was not announced at the Golden Globe nomination ceremonies.
Another actor who gave the performance of his relatively unknown career was Josh Brolin (Planet Terror) who played the antagonist Llewellyn Moss. He was scary, but likable, and one of the manliest characters in the history of cinema.
These actors had to take a backseat to a man named Anton Chigurh. Played by Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) Chigurh was horrifically grotesque. His dialogue was frightening, his actions were shocking, and his weapons were dominating. The role has actually propelled Bardem to a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Though that award seems destined for Phillip Seymour Hoffman, for the critically loved and acclaimed Charlie Wilson's War, Bardem would win if I had the vote.
Throw in a short, buy rather funny, performance by Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers) and you have the SAG Awards shoe-in for Best Performance by a Cast.
With all of this considered, I still haven't named the most important part of the cast. Silence was the greatest contributor to the overall effect of the film. In fact, the film didn't even have enough background score to qualify for a nomination. The simple sounds of a man breathing, or a door creaking created a painfully tense theatrical experience that was uncomfortable for the viewer, but at the same time strangely rewarding. Most of Brolin's on screen time is unpleasantly silent.
If you couldn't guess already, I am giving No Country for Old Men a 9/10. Such things as killing characters off-screen and not explaining pointless car wrecks keep this movie form a 10. Its mistakes almost improve the film, but they are mistakes nonetheless.
The Coen Brothers are two of the greatest directors of our time, and they have proved it with films like Fargo, O, Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, and Raising Arizona. This film is completely different than any of those. It is gritty and terrifying. You do not leave the theater pumped or excited, but more fulfilled. It may take a minute to even gather an honest reaction to the film.
I will warn you that if you are like me, by that I mean squeamish, there will be scenes that force you to turn your head.
Painfully gorgeous and hard to swallow, the Coen Brothers have again captured the true darkness and loneliness of the west. The tough cat and mouse chase between Moss and Chigurh launched the greatest film released since The Departed. Gathering four Golden Globe Nominations including Picture, Director and Screenplay, this unlovely picture will be the film to watch this award season.