It's no country for old men, as Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is taught during the course of this movie. And that's what it feels like is happening, to me. Llewelyn and Chigurh represent two kinds of people in the new world; one he can't help, and one he can't catch.
The Coen brothers always make an interesting product, and this one is no different. Unexpected deaths can be done by any bland action movie or 'Game of Thrones' episode, but that we didn't see it (trying hard not to let spoilers seep in here, but you know the ones I'm talking about) and that it was barely acknowledged in the traditional sense pleased me no end, for some reason. What I enjoyed even more than watching it alone, was with someone else, and seeing their indignation. I guess I like it when the movie basically gives the audience the finger. Not when it tries it just to be edgy, but when it does it and succeeds, and it adds to the story. As it does in this case, I think.
I've always loved chasey-type movies. Not necessarily one one character actively chasing another (though this was the case here) but a set of characters meeting repeatedly in different variations. Coming together and moving apart, escaping one another and then regrouping in some kind of final showdown. The difference here was that we were cheated our showdown, and I like that. The movie petered out, and I was left feeling depressed, but I'm not a moron (well maybe I am) so I don't need to be made happy to enjoy a movie. I just need to feel. And I did.
Bell isn't really the central character for much of the film, but it's his voice you hear at the start, and the end wraps up his thoughts at the beginning. As I said up there somewhere, I think this is all about him. Him being somewhat forced into retirement by the world (and kind of his wife).
Then there's Chirgurh, a classic Coen brothers villain. I'd like to see him fight Gaear from 'Fargo'. In his first scene he is shown violently strangling a police officer, and his wide-eyed manic expression is a chillingly accurate introduction to his character. He follows Lkewelyn, promoting his deadly coin-tossing philosophy along the way. This makes for some awesomely tense scenes, and by the end we don't even need to see him pop the man's brain out to know what's happened. I particularly liked the scene where he enters a shop and demands the keeper call a coin toss. The tension builds perfectly, as Chirgurh scrunches up and places an empty packet on the counter and it slowly unravels, crinkling and scraping on the table top. It's like someone scratching down a chalk board; it screams 'something's wrong!".
Finally there is Llewelyn, who discovers a big bag of cash at a drug deal gone wrong, and spends the rest of the movie trying to keep it. He's an alright guy. Smart, especially when sleeping, and his wife is cool. While I found Llewelyn likable, I wasn't hugely taken with his character, but I get the impression that that's just me. He has a kind of cool and in control air of confidence, but as the movie progresses and his wounds mount up this persona begins to crack.
The long landscape shots are beautiful, and are equaled by few other movies (2001 springs to mind). These shots linger for just the right amount of time on the scenery, before cutting to a brutal murder or a flaming car. There's not much music, and this works well. The lighting is mostly warm, conveying the temperature, and the oppressive feeling of heat runs throughout the film (or maybe that's just my own dislike of hot weather).
The last scene is one of my favourites from any film, as Bell tells his wife about his dreams. He gets it all just right. The simplicity of his language and his clear, yet understated, emotion all makes it feel so real.
The last scene is one of my favourites from any film, as Bell tells his wife about his dreams. He gets it all just right. The simplicity of his language and his clear, yet understated, emotion all makes it feel so real.
No Country for Old Men: 89.8