A beautifully intellectual work of art, not for all audiences.

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2008)

Not since Fargo have these two talents, Joel & Ethan Coen, approached and delivered a text with such finesse. No Country for Old Men is an amalgamation of concentrated characters, beautifully constructed metaphors and intertwined narratives that consummate in an astounding subversion of the thriller genre. The film is an insightful interrogation of manhood, or more predominantly American manhood (so often witnessed in a lot of the Coen's work). With its unconventional storytelling and unorthodox narrative No Country for Old Men is a film that requires the viewer to be sagacious and perceptive in order to heed and unravel the films intertextuality. It is arguably one of those films that will require multiple viewings to fully appreciate it.
The film takes place on the Texas border in 1980 and tells of man called Llewlyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who stumbles upon a heroin trade off/massacre, loots two million dollars and returns to his wife Carla (Kelly Macdonald) only to succumb to his own stupidity and return to the scene at night to help a wounded man he had previously left for dead. A drugs cartel hire a recently escaped sociopath called Anton (Javier Bardem) to retrieve the money, meanwhile Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Le Jones) and his deputy investigate the massacre. The narrative model exercised here is evident throughout the majority of the Coen's work, this model being the recognition and tackling of an obstacle between the hero and the object of his/her desires - the obstacle often being the hero's stupidity. For example the fumbling naivety of Norville Barnes in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), the endearing fatuousness of The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998) and the bumbling buffoonery of the convicts in O'Brother, Where Art Thou (2000) all hinder progress.
Chiefly the film tackles the ideas of choice, fate and chance personified by the coin-toss scene at the beginning. However, No Country for Old Men employs an unconventional story which has dismayed some critics, some even citing occurrences in the plot as examples of the films faults. One such example is the timing and choice to dismiss a centrifugal character which has been described by some critics as an illustration of directorial arrogance and contempt for their audience. In a direct response to these widely held allegations I feel that the choice to dismiss this character was a brave decision and a more truthful representation on the musings of human life and its many dispositions fitting entirely with the over arching theme of the film. Criticisms of plot and narrative devices, such as the example mentioned, tend to occur because of a belief that generally speaking a film should serve up conventions that allow for it to be understood and followed and if these conventions are ignored or dismissed then the film is not a film but a mishmash of ideas. To put it bluntly I feel that this belief has developed through conditioning. Additionally it is often perceived that if a film challenges conventions or reworks them then it is, in essence, original - which is widely read as cinematic progress.
At its heart No Country for Old Men is a thriller that delivers brilliant levels of suspense, fear and apprehension whilst simultaneously disposing of the genre's preconceived conventions. The cinematography on show unashamedly harks back to the Coens debut Blood Simple (1983) and with their regular Cinematographer at the helm, Roger A. Deakins, it is no surprise that No Country for Old Men has been nominated for an Oscar in this category. The films score is so subtle that it aids the tension by unwittingly achieving an omnipotent silence recognisable only through an assortment of wind noises which have been superbly complemented by the bleak dialogue and dark humour.
To complement the film further it should be noted that on show here are some of the most powerful and flawless performances for some time and Tommy Lee Jones's is purely outstanding. His character embodies a demeanour of pensive sadness beautifully portrayed by the veteran actor in what is conceivably his best role to date (shocking that he has not been nominated for an Oscar, but this could be due to a lack of screen presence) it should also be noted that the final reels of the film are probably among his best ever committed to celluloid. Javier Barden's role as the relentless and ruthless psychotic killer is astounding, his on screen presence mesmerising and his mere appearance a pure treat. When it comes to playing a psychotic I would go so far to say that his performance has only ever been equaled by Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Hannibal Lector and maybe in years to come, dare I say it, better than.
I have yet to see its fellow 2007 Academy Award nominee There Will Be Blood, but No Country for Old Men is surely an Oscar winner and perhaps it will be the Coen's first as directors or second as writers. It is cinematic excellence of the highest pedigree that is both lasting and haunting.