No Country for Weak Men?

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2008)

While Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) was hunting pronghorn near the Rio Bravo (or Rio Grande for North Americans), he found a mark of blood that take him to a typical drug dealers scene with abandoned cars and death bodies. There he found a bag with two million dollars. Soon he will be followed by a hit-man named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and by the local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who is trying to help Llewelyn from those very dangerous men.
The script of this perfect film was adapted by the Coen brothers from the novel with the same name by Cormac McCarthy. The plot of the film is simple in a way, showing an strange crime story setting in the old West. But there are too many things that make this film more than just another crime/western film and those same things are still in my head trying to be completely understood. One of those things are the great and memorable characters; Llewelyn Moss is the representation of the average man doing anything for money, Ed Tom Bell is the classic old man surprised by the increased of violence in his region and always in defense of the law. But the most mysterious and unique character is Anton Chigurh, since his strange last name, his strange haircut and his strange weapon ( a captive bolt pistol) to the fact that we don't know anything about him just that he kill everything that is close to him. Even the other main characters (Llewelyn and Ed) never confront Anton face to face, so it definitely one of the strangest characters that i have ever seen on a film. Another thing that is great in this film is the interpretation of the fate and how you can't stop what's coming. I mean, after watching the film a person who was with me tell me "all because Llewelyn fell remorse for the Mexican asking for water and he return", but for me even he never come back to the scene of the drug deal, Chigurh will be following him because the bag of the money contains the radar and because Llewelyn did something that change his life forever and he can't go back. Just as the coin toss, because is a simple decision but it can change your life. There are a lot of great dialogs that will make you watch this film more than one or two times.
The cast: is perfect and i'm not surprised of all the awards that came and the ones that will come. They are all great but Bardem steals, without a doubt, the film as Anton. For me is his best role in all of his career and is a fact that is his most "popular" role.
The Coen brothers: this is the first adapted film that they have done and is with the same beautiful cinematography of most of their films, showing the old West as the unique scenery for a story like that. Right now are as popular as great; who cares if the Academy doesn't give them the awards, they will be the same great directors with or without the Oscar. For me "No Country for Old Men" is their best film since "O Brother Where Art Thou?" from 2000, and is my third personal favourite of them. And left me the desire of re-watch all of his films before the release of the DVD.
Conclusion: i love this film and is the best i have seen in this year. Is great when a great film like this one is as great as popular because a lot of people will watch it just for it nominations. Anyway, i'm just waiting for the DVD to watch it at least three more times. 10 out of 10
PS: the Mexican title for this film is "Sin Lugar Para Los Debiles", that means, "Without a Place for the Weaks". I don't like when they change the essence of the title but for me is not bad the Mexican title because it's a fact that in a situation like that you can't be weak.