This film was released amid much acclaim from the nation’s critics groups. Written and directed by the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?”), it’s a distinctive tale of a hired killer and a normal guy who makes a bad decision that may prove deadly. With witty, poignant dialogue that helps shed light on thoughts and motivations, the three main characters, the killer, the regular guy and the cop (Tommy Lee Jones, “The Hunted”), feel authentic and are well portrayed. The chase sequences will have your heart thumping, and the details really draw everything together.
The killer, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem, “Love in the Time of Cholera”) escapes from police custody and goes on a seemingly random killing spree through the countryside. Many old men lose their trucks - and their lives - as Chigurh seeks to throw the police off his trail. Meanwhile, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin, “American Gangster”) stumbles upon the remains of a mass shootout in the middle of the desert. The criminals have left behind a substantial amount of money in a suitcase, which Moss decides to take thinking no one would ever know. Sadly, circumstances spiral out of his control, and Moss must leave his wife and go on the run, which eventually leads him to cross paths with Chigurh. Jones is the laid-back cop who is always a step behind the men, and the money.
Bardem is exceptional as the homicidal hit man, who follows his own internal code of honor to many people’s detriment. His expressions are terrifying, and his voice itself is a veiled threat. Whenever this guy is on screen, you feel the air get sucked out of your chest waiting for him to make his move. His haunting character, Chigurh, is entirely original, both in demeanor and in how he dispatches people. I entirely agree with all the critics who heaped acclaim on this actor and his performance.
Brolin and Jones are both quite good in their parts, Jones as a cantankerous cop and Brolin as the tough-guy everyman. Supporting performances from Kelley MacDonald, as Moss’s wife, and Woody Harrelson, as another interested party, round out a brilliant cast.
In fact, I was completely blown away with how exceptional this film was, until the very last twenty minutes. The end was the exact opposite of what the rest of the film was, slow and a bit sloppy. The directors give the audience so much detail in the rest of the film that when the final climax occurs, we miss seeing what actually happens. You are shuttled off onto the secondary characters, rather than the two primary men we start the film with.
The end of a movie is so important because it makes the last impression. A great ending can make a mediocre film seem better, while a poor one can waste an otherwise great movie. While the finale does not ruin “No Country for Old Men,” it does keep it from reaching absolute greatness.
Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language.
