No Country for Old Men introduces us to ruthless killer Anton Chigurh and his gruesome air gun. A fascinating murder, phenomenal writing, and obvious attention to the visual details, No Country for Old Men is a truly adult horror drama.
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is hired to go after Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) when Moss stumbles across, and steals, two million dollars in drug money. Sherriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) follows Chigurh across Texas, trying to stop the killing. Chigurh’s demented nobility makes him ruthless in his pursuit. Moss’s greed makes him desperate to hang on to the money. Sherriff Bell always seems to be one step behind.
The story is simple, but the execution is bold, in your face, and captivating. The characters are simple and uncomplicated but not feeble. They remind me of modern design; the beauty is in the simplicity. You don’t have to spend much time wondering what a character is going to do, you’ve pretty much figured it out in the first ten minutes but unlike most movies, who have overly easy to understand characters, No Country for Old Men’s cinematic execution and dialogue make the movie impossible to pull your eyes from.
The dialogue was, by far, my favorite part of the movie. Lines like, “That’s very linear of you.” or “What are we going to put in the APB? A man who has recently drunk milk?” and “I’ve seen near everything, I work at Wal-Mart.” are the core of the movie. None of the lines are written as jokes and yet in their context are funny because they are perfectly reflective of the helplessness, ignorance or strangeness of the character, or their situation. No Country for Old Men’s dialogue helps frame the simplicity of the characters but gives the movie its distinctive edge.
No Country for Old Men has what seems an endless number of visual splendors and oozed slummy Texan from its celluloid. The filming style is dank and a little gritty, and there is special attention to framing. The true brilliance of the visuals was the numerous times cinematographer Roger Deakins and directors Joel and Ethan Coen use depth of field in the shooting. Characters are often in the fore and background instead of face to face, making the space feel larger or more sinister. They also captured the ick of Texas.
I actually lived in the slums of Texas for a time when I was a child and I was constantly amazed at how the set dressers and set creators made such perfect representations of the depraved decorating, and hideous attempts at prettifying one’s personal property. I swear No Country for Old Men took me to every Texan slum and trailer my mother took me to.
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is one of the most original murderers on film in a decade. He isn’t ridiculously smart or monumentally wild. His distorted nobility and honed ruthlessness is what makes him a menace. He kills in a unique way, a feat unto itself. He is best described as creepifyin’.
No Country for Old Men didn’t hold back on the pints of blood in the murder scenes, so don’t take grandma to see it but if you want a great date movie or if you love horror that is based in reality, see No Country for Old Men.