Review of No Country for Old Men (2007) by Charlie G — 20 Jan 2015

Filming on the bleak, seemingly infinite deserts of Texas and New Mexico, the Coen brothers accomplished the impossible: the filming of a Cormac McCarthy novel. The movie opens with our protagonist, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), stumbling upon the striking wreckage of a drug deal done gone awry, and finding a briefcase containing 2 million dollars. Attempting to make this money his own, Llewelyn takes the briefcase and unknowingly sets off an unstoppable chain of violence, as he is tracked down by the ruthless Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem.

The performances in No Country for Old Men are spectacular, especially that of Bardem. Anton Chigurh embodies pure, brutal evil so convincingly, that at times it is hard to remember that Bardem is just acting. The film offers amazing visuals and elements of a heart-pounding thriller, while also feeling like a character study of Moss and Chigurh. The film is also incredibly focused, with almost every sentence uttered by the characters feeling intriguing and important to the progression of the story.

One of the most interesting and effective tools used by the Coen brothers throughout the movie is the usage of silence. The film completely lacks any cinematic music or soundtrack, allowing the dead, yet piercing silence to take over some of the most suspenseful moments, making them more spine-tingling than any music ever could.

Ultimately, No Country is an incredibly suspenseful, thought-provoking, and thrilling ride with incredible direction by Joel and Ethan Coen to bring the novel to life.