Turns
out those fears were groundless: not only is this a triumphant return
to form for the Coens, it actually marks something of a departure for
them in terms of crime drama as they (mostly) reign in their quirky
humour to stay true to McCarthy's bleak lament for a barren place that
exists as much in men's hearts as it does the physical world.
It's
1980, and when trailer park resident Llwewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin)
stumbles across the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad, complete with a
ute full of drugs and a satchel full of cash, he decides to take the
money and run. That puts him in the sights of the extremely deadly
Chigurh (Javier Bardem in a nightmare-inducing performance), while
local sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) tries to put the pieces together.
The
film's lean, stripped-back style comes largely from the novel - there
are long silent sequences here that simply involve people going about
their work, which sometimes results in murder - but its the kind of
thing the Coens did brilliantly in their earlier films and they clearly
haven't lost the knack.
The three lead performances are all
amazing: Brolin is perfect as a decent man not sure how over his head
he is, Bardem seems like he should be a jokevillain but turns out to be
the scariest thing on screen this year, and Jones (who doesn't appear
onscreen until half an hour in, but turns out to be the film's central
character) continues his recent run of quality work as a worn down man
unsure of the worth of his work.
There's plenty of sly humour
and dry wit on offer, but where the Coen's earlier work would squeeze a
note of redemption into the grimmest of events (think of the end of Fargo), this winds up in a way that's both quietly real and totally devastating.
This is one of this decade's best films.
EXTRAS with Sean Lynch
A
few featurettes on offer here which help sweeten the deal. "The Making
of No Country For Old Men" is a pretty comprehensive study of the film,
and helps answer a few of those unanswered questions the movie pops up.
"Working
with The Coens" is great, if only to hear Javier Bardem talking
with a smile as opposed to the murderous grimace he dons for the entire
film.
Pretty solid package all up.
Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: 65%
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