“No Country For Old Men” (Paramount Vantage)
Or Anyone Else
“No Country For Old Men” is one of those movies critics adore and audiences are saying “huh” Its nihilistic themes and depressing outcome are a turnoff to most people no matter how well done and well acted the movie is. It may win awards but it sure won’t win any popularity contests.
The film concerns a man named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin). He is out hunting and comes upon an apparent gun battle between drug dealers and drug buyers. All of the participants are dead except for one man who is in critical condition. Moss looks around and finds a case containing a huge amount of money – which he takes.
Later that night he goes back to the scene of the crime to take water to the dying man. While there some people come up and start shooting at him. Moss takes off running and leaves his truck behind. This gives details about who he is and provides a name for people looking for the money.
The main person looking for him is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). He is a cool psychopath who leaves a trail of dead bodies in his wake. He is after Moss and he plans to kill him. Moss sends his wife (Kelly Macdonald) to stay with her mother (Beth Grant), hopefully keeping her safe while he tries to ambush Anton and kill him.
The local sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is investigating it all. He knows about Moss and he knows about Anton, so he is on the trail of both men. He is world weary and disillusioned by the violence all around him.
The movie holds your interest while it is taking place but there is never a ray of sunshine of humanity or good fortune. The point seems to be that the world has never been so evil, and for most of us there is no hope. Things are just going to get worse and worse.
The acting is excellent with Brolin being the best of the best and Bardem running close behind him. Jones is also very good, as is Macdonald. The photography is also excellent with the open ranges of the west forming a great setting for this bleak story.
The film is rated R for violence and profanity.
The Coen Brothers have fashioned another off beat film filling it with black humor and random violence. But where everything coalesced in “Fargo,” everything falls apart in this one. The critics may love it but this one member of the audience did not.
I scored “No Country For Old Men” a deserted 5 out of 10.
