Everybody loves the Coens, right? After Fargo, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, they've earned their place in American cinema history. But after O Brother, they kind of just lost it. Their movies were still enjoyable on a certain level, but you couldn't compare them to the classics. They were just pale imitations. I had written them off. I'd heard about No Country for Old Men early last year, but I wasn't excited about it. They took this new movie to Cannes, where it was raved, and I still didn't care. I figured they were just "blowing smoke", as the young people say.
But the good reviews kept coming, so I finally decided to get a little interested. One problem- It wasn't going to be playing at my local theater. Or anywhere else near me. So... well, I saw it, ok? That's all that matters.
Now for the actual review. No Country for Old Men is the best Coen brothers movie since Fargo. It might be better than Fargo, I can't tell yet. I wasn't a huge fan of Fargo when it first came out and now I love it. I already love No Country for Old Men, so who knows how I might feel in a year? Hard to tell, I've only seen it once, but everyone tells me it gets better with a second viewing. Only time will tell whether or not they're lying dogs.
Jeez, this is a bad review so far. Time to get super serious. NCFOM is about this man, Llewelyn Moss, who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. Dead bodies everywhere (even a dead dog, wink wink). He also finds a shit-load of money. He takes the money, which is the worst possible thing he could do. It sets off a chain of events that the movie follows with close attention to detail.
Moss is being chased by Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem. Bardem deserved an Oscar back in 2000 for Before Night Falls, and odds are that he'll win Supporting Actor this year. Bardem is good, but not Oscar worthy. He's entertaining, but don't listen to the people who are telling you this is the best performance of the year. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are better, even if their parts aren't as flashy.
That being said, Chigurh is a lot of fun to watch. He's given the best scenes and the funniest lines, ect. I haven't mentioned it yet, but NCFOM is a funny movie. But you already knew that, cause it's a Coens movie. They can't help themselves.
But it isn't a comedy movie. It deals with some serious issues, like .. you know, Americans and violence and everything. It's got some incredibly violent scenes, and they're incredibly entertaining. The scene where Moss and Chigurh go at it in the streets is probably the best scene I've seen this year. This movie has two or three Scene of the Year contenders.
Jones and Brolin are terrific, but I can't see them getting much awards attention. I think Moss is the most relateable character. I could see myself doing the same things he does, even though I kept thinking "DON'T DO IT!!" But it's too late, he does it. Maybe we should take this as a warning or something. Sometimes it's best not to get what you think you want.
Jones is great. He's funny and he plays the moral center of the film just right. I'm one of the few who's never really liked Jones much at all, but he's great here. He plays a guy we all strive to be like, yet when you think about it, it's clear he's something of a failure. You could make the argument that things turn out the way they do because of his failure to act. He's clearly the Old Man who just doesn't understand this world anymore. This dark, ugly world, embodied by Bardem.
This review has been pretty terrible. I've waited a few days to wrap my mind around this movie, but it's not working. It seems so simple when you're watching it, but once it's over all these big ideas just start flowing that you didn't pick up on while watching it. I'm gonna give this a 9.0. It might even go up with repeated viewings. I've predicted this as my Best Picture winner, but I'm not so sure. It's very violent and might even scare some people. The movie is probably the best of the year and the Coens are overdue, so I'm not changing my predictions just yet, but it's not a lock by any means.
If you can find it, see it. Any way you can.
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