"No Country for Old Men" is a difficult movie to explain. My immediate thought after seeing it was, "What was that about?" But now, after having time to really think it through, this a one of the more powerful films of the year.
The premise is pretty simple. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) discovers a suitcase full of money in a drug deal clearly gone bad in the plains of 1980 west Texas. Making off with the money, he is quick to realize that somebody is going to come looking for whoever has it. Enter into the scene a psychotic bounty hunter (Javier Bardem), a man who uses an air compressor to kill people. He may be one of the most frightening characters ever to be on the movie screen. Meanwhile, Sheriff Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) is looking for answers to the evil that is all around him. He actually spends more time reminiscing about the old days when sheriffs didn't carry guns in Texas and when the country was a safer place. He knows he is the last of a dying breed -- thus the name of the movie.
This movie is extremely violent, but in the most subdued and quiet way possible. There is little to no music throughout the entire story, just sweeping images of the vastness of Texas. While Jones delivers one of his most relaxed performances to date, Bardem is outstanding. He shows no emotion, his voice never fluctuates (even when his broken bone is sticking out of his skin), but he remains a dominate presence throughout. Bardem will win awards for this performance.
"No Country for Old Men" is not a movie for everyone, and the violence is graphic. If, however, you are looking for a powerful movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is definitely for you. I give it an A.
"No Country for Old Men" is rated R with a running time of 122 minutes.
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