When Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon a set of pickup trucks surrounded by a mass of dead bodies all signs lead to a drug deal gone bad. When a satchel containing two million dollars is found Moss goes against his intuition and takes the money setting off a chain of deadly events that stumps everyone, even the aging Sheriff Bellcan. In the end Moss must attempt to do what no other man has been able to do, evade his pursuer, a psychopathic mastermind who flips coins for human lives and leaves no eye witness alive. With more money than he could ever imaging Moss must decide between greed, family and even his own life.
With strong acting, serene cinematography and amazing characterization No Country for Old Men surpasses every expectation taking a stellar story and turning it into a powerful film featuring one of the year's most disturbing villains.
The film's most powerful force is that of Javier Bardem who plays the mysterious, unsettling Anton Chigurh. Throughout the course of the film Bardem is able to create not only a villain but a psychopath who does the unthinkable as well as the unimaginable. Killing people with no hesitation Bardem's Chigurh lacks emotion and a soul, killing without a conscious or an afterthought. This simple tactic gives his character a reality factor that sends a tingle down your spine and a worried thought in your mind long after you leave the theatre.
But the film didn't just rely on Bardem. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin play key supporting characters. Though very few interactions were made between the three, each fed off the others energy, keeping the mood, tone and attitude alive throughout the film's entirety.
But in the end it was the story that propelled the film into its soon to be classic status. Combining the elements of murder, a cat and mouse chase and numerous glimpses of southern comedy the film has it all. The story revolves around three men, a murder, a provider and a sheriff, and somehow the Coen brothers effectively brought the elements together to create a film that captivates and enthralls.
No Country for Old Men is the first "˜real' Academy Award contender that I have seen this year, providing a promise for what is to come.
