NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)

 Starring- Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, and Kelly Macdonald. 

Directed By- Ethan and Joel Coen.

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Ellis: Whatcha' got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.

One of the finest film from the Masters of contemporary cinema, The Coen brothers. Films about people finding and keeping gangsters' loot are nothing new, but they usually have something to tell us, beyond the fact that it is a bad idea.'

 'No Country for Old Men' is set in Texas of the 1980s. Llewyn Moss ( Josh Brolin ) comes across a satchel of 2 million dollars while hunting for pronghorns after a drug deal goes wrong with all negotiators dead and taking advantage of the situation, he runs off with the satchel. Though interestingly , these acts too are subservient to his principles of modus operandi. The other key narrative driving the film, is that of Sherrif Bells ( Tommy Lee Jones ), who had never thought Texas and her ways would become so haphazard as compared to the simpler times, half a decade back.


Direction/Cinematography : this is where the movie really outshines other suspense-thrillers, with a lot of attention given to lighting and blocking in each frame, it is definitely a visual treat. Also the lack of soundtrack/music in any scene makes plenty of room for sound editing and definitely this movie is edited very well, with the sound (and silence) playing important roles in adding suspense.


I like the film because there is nothing obscene and the dialogue has minimal profanity. There is a considerable amount of blood and violence, but nothing gratuitous or overly graphic. From an artistic perspective, I love how there is no score; there is no background music which helps accentuate the realism of the film and draw the viewer in closer. It was a really effective choice. The Coen brothers really did a very good job overall with this film.


 Javier Bardem literally takes your breath away by his weirdo hair cut and spine chilling Anton Chigurh. One of those characters that will scare you as hell. Josh Brolin and the great Tommy Lee Jones do their part really well in the movie. But, it was Bardem alone who was the standout and got a well deserved Oscar for his performance. 

No Country for Old Men ' is not the typical Western we are accustomed to but is rather imbued with 'shades of grey' or charachteristics of an inexplicable , modern world.
My Rating- 8/10
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