Rating of
3/4
No Country for Old Men review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 07/28/11
A good, ot classic/great/perfect picture in this crtics mind. If you feel like a dark comedy, epic drama, western, crime flick, then this is for you. It seems more like a toned down Natural Born Killers with better character and dialogue. You have the hunted Lwelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), the wise Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (depicted superbly by Tommy Lee Jones) and one of the best villains onscreen Chigurh (Javier Bardem). It starts out with a briefcase filled with money was stolen by Moss, Chigurh chases him and the Sheriff tries to stop the antagonist. The plot was plain; the length was too long though the characters were larger than life. Set locations were really pleasant. The violence well portrayed. The suspense evidently present, fabulous acting, unexpected action and events fit the film. The downside I noticed aside from the length, deeper plot, and hero not beating the villain was the ending. Yes like so many others who have criticized this, it would have been better if the Directors gave it a proper ending. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or gratifying, as long as it was well processed. Why build up the action and characters and then leave everything unexpectedly?
Some scenes you can understand why there were staggering, for the viewers, the questions are raised as to what happens to the characters and how it all ends. The solid supporting cast, callous Chigurh, locations, and crafty dialogue are worth watching. Watching Javier Bardem’s figure roaming and talking to people just gives you chills in your spine. He is a joy to watch his performance alone, threatening people with his low voice and wit. He would be right up there with Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), Norman Bates (Psycho), Jack Torrence (The Shining), Hans Gruber (Die Hard) and The Joker (Dark Knight). Superb screenplay with the words of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell: “But I don't want to push my chips forward and go out there and meet something I don't understand. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He'd have to say "Okay, I'll be a part of this world." The world he mentioned is filled with violence and deception, much like what happened to Moss and create evil like Chigurh. There are some things unexplainable; it’s how we react to these incidents that are important. Just like my review with MP’s The Holy Grail, the sums of its parts are better than the whole. This would have been a classic if there weren’t any questions that needed answers and lengthy unnecessary conversations that prolonged the picture. There Will Be Blood, a flawless piece of art/cinema deserved the Best Picture of the year in this critics opinion.
