No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald

"No Country for Old Men," based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, tells the story of a man named Llewelyn Moss, who unwittingly happens upon a bag of money deserted after a violent shoot out. Deciding to take the money, Moss unleashes a hellish storm of violence while also attracting the wrath of a particularly cold-blooded killer, Chigurh (played to perfection by Bardem). "No Country" is a brillantly filmed gem. It has cinematography that sets the perfect tone for this somber tale. The desert locale emanates a mysterious albeit dangerous quality that impressively compliments the movie's action. The characters in this film could easily have been overplayed, but the actors managed to craft subtle perfomances, giving their characters depth and range not often found in cinema. Tommy Lee Jones offers another great performance as a sheriff that acts more as an obsever to the chaos that goes on around him. But what stands out the most is the pacing. The film flows with such ease that the audience cannot help but become fully involved in its intricate storytelling. With "No Country," the Coen brothers have truly outdone themselves.