No Country For Old Men | REVIEW

I'm sure that in your your mind you have No Country For Old Men associated with good praise, critical acclaim, and tons of awards from numerous guilds and associations. Well then you know all there is to know about No Country For Old Men because in my opinion, those are the only things that stand out in this movie. It's a highly intellectual film with lots of subliminal messages in accordance to the evolution of violence amongst the human populace and it has some terrific acting. But other than all those amazing technical aspects that judges at award ceremonies look into, the film didn't stick in my memory for more than half a day...and that's bad. In my opinion, if a movie lingers at the back of your head for a day, two days, or more, then it has proven to be a powerful movie. If you can just get up, walk away, and forget a movie in such a short time despite the award-winning performances then something has to be not right, right? Here's what No Country For Old Men is all about.

No Country for Old Men is a 2007 crime thriller film adapted for the screen and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem. Adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, No Country for Old Men tells the story of a botched drug deal and the ensuing cat-and-mouse drama, as three men crisscross each other's paths in the desert landscape of 1980 West Texas. The film examines the themes of fate and circumstance the Coen brothers have previously explored in Blood Simple and Fargo. Tommy Lee Jones plays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, Josh Brolin plays Llewelyn Moss and Javier Bardem plays Anton Chigurh.

You've probably heard that Javier Bardem's performance in this is a surreal feat, and you heard correctly. He plays Anton Chigurgh, a psychotic murderer who is on a killing spree (thank you Captain Obvious). I emphasize the word 'psychotic'. The man is insane! I don't want to compare everything to The Dark Knight but I just have to this time, bear with me please. I compare Anton to The Joker in more ways than one and you'll see what I mean when you watch the film. I'm not going to spoil anything but let me just give you a brief explanation. They both portray unstoppable forces that act according to instinct alone and not reason. The only reasoning they have is their own and there is nothing one can do to negotiate or 'buy them off'. That's how powerful their characters are. Oh and Anton also flips a coin to decide one's fate. Sound familiar?

Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin play their parts pretty well, too. When it comes to acting, No Country For Old Men exhibits some very fine performances. There's practically zero music in the film. Some effects here and there which act like background tones but that's it.

Now...here's the downside, in my opinion.

There's no doubt that No Country For Old Men is a quality-coated flick. But what's the use of so much quality when the film does nothing to affect you in any way? Right, there is no use. Although I know some people liked the movie to a great extent, I doubt even they would watch it for the second time in the next year or so. To be honest, this film does not cater to everyone's tastes. It has been produced to cater for those who look beyond the screen and into the technical details of a movie. It's done for people who love deep, dark messages that hide within a film. It's a movie that works well for critics who look for intellectual value and nothing more. It is only powerful for those who want to see that sort of power come from a movie. And for me, No Country For Old Men didn't fare well. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love slow, heavy, brooding movies with little dialogue. I enjoyed Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Zodiac, and Babel all the same. I like limited-release films, too. In fact, Children Of Men and The Fountain are some of my most-liked movies ever. So my dislike for No Country has nothing to do with the grittiness of the film or the heaviness of it or even the little dialogue. It's just not something I find appealing or exciting. If I wanted all message and no magic, I would have picked up the novel instead. Film is supposed to, arguably, deliver something more than the pages of a book. That's why comic movies are major hits. You've seen Spider-Man in still images, but watching him in motion on the big screen is something special altogether, isn't it? That's what I'm saying. No Country is a good adaptation. It's a wonderful film in terms of quality. But enjoyable it is not. And that is what makes me dislike a movie.

I don't expect every film to be a pop-corn blockbuster with radical CGI, extreme violence, lots of cleavage, and giant f*ckin' robots, but a movie has to be enjoyable to a certain extent. It doesn't have to be funny or sexy or pure eye-candy, just enjoyable. Zodiac has none of the mentioned, but it's enjoyable despite its heavy tonal value and the movie's slow pace. Although Javier Bardem's character in No Country is frightening and gripping, nothing of it sticks in your head for more than 15 minutes after the film. Well, that was the case with me anyway.

All that being said, No Country For Old Men should be viewed for the stellar performances alone. The film is highly realistic in terms of facial expressions and overall acting. But remember, it's not a film for everyone. Some may like it for the integrated messages. Some will enjoy the way it was filmed. Some will salute the acting. But very few will actually enjoy the movie.
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Wrap : No Country For Old Men gets a 3.8 out of 5.0 for being a film that has a heavy storyline that doesn't depend on violence or sex to pull it along. Not that there's anything wrong with the two but it isn't easy to gain an audience without the said aspects or to tug a film along. No Country did that and it's something to admire, at least. It has quality and great acting. Need a film to review for a college assignment? This is the perfect choice. Need a light flick after a long day at the office? Stay away from No Country!

P.S : Javier Bardem would make a kickass Kratos. For those of you who don't know, Kratos is the lead character in the God Of War videogame franchise and is one of the top badasses character-wise. Hack and slash brutality with twin blades, baby! Javier seems to have the right jaw / facial characteristics to play the role. Let's hope the rumored Bret Ratner doesn't f*ck up this movie (God Of War) for me the way he did with X-Men : The Movie That I Want To Forget.