Sometimes life is just like flipping a coin.

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2012)

The Cohen Brothers have struck gold once again with No Country for Old Men. The writing, acting, photography, and just about anything else you could ask for is all here. Well, maybe except a memorable score. But the fact that this film is so haunting without any music is another aspect of it that makes it such an accomplishment. There is enough going on in the two hour running time that one viewing alone certainly would not do it justice.
The plot seems simple enough on the surface. A man known as Llewelyn Moss out hunting in rural Texas discovers the aftermath of a drug deal gone sour. Several bodies and shot-up vehicles litter the desert floor. There is a large amount of heroin left at the scene. One victim remains alive, but he isn't going anywhere. He just wants a drink of agua before he dies. To Moss, the only question is... where is the last man standing? The guy who no doubt took the money. It isn't long before Moss tracks the man's corpse down and now holds a satchel containing 2 million dollars. If only he weren't so human, he'd almost surely have gotten away with it....
As Moss points out to his wife, someone will be coming after that money. The most prevalent of these people is one of the better recent villains in cinema. Anton Chigurh, as he's known, is a brooding and lethal figure. He has a unique arsenal of weaponry; most notably an air tank that is built for slaughtering cattle. It comes in handy whenever Chigurh encounters a locked door, or sometimes a human in need of slaughtering. Chigurh makes it his mission to hunt Moss down to the ends of the earth to retrieve the money. And apparently to punish Moss for inconveniencing him. Lots of innocent people get caught up in the carnage. Also in the mix is an aging sheriff named Ed Tom Bell. Tommy Lee Jones plays him perfectly. He knows he's out gunned not only in this instance, but in general. He recalls in an early monologue how some sheriffs never used to need to carry guns. Now, all the guns in the world hardly do an honest man any good against the evil that's out there. The film takes plenty of surprising turns and always keeps the viewer guessing. Many would suggest that the film lacks a compelling climax, but this kind of story is more of a morality tale than a standard cops and robbers deal.
The Cohens have just about everything down right. Even using skinny male actors to play men at a time (1980) when Americans were not so obese. The action sequences are meticulous and exciting. The violence is brutal, but not completely over the top. There are so many terrific lines of dialog. When Chigurh asks the proprietor of a filling station, "What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?", you just know that this will be a line quoted for decades. Just like, "You talking' to me?" from Taxi Driver. The acting and casting is so precise that you almost feel like you know these characters as your neighbors or relatives. Even Chigurh, once he's badly wounded in a shootout, begins to seem all too human. Woody Harrelson's character is perhaps just exposition, though. Even so, he's fun to watch.
Brolin, Jones, and Bardem deserved Oscar nods. At least Bardem got his. There weren't too many films on par with this one in 2007. See it now! 10 of 10 stars.
The Hound.