Friday, September 25, 2015

Movie: No Country For Old Men (2007) *****

Holy cow! I can't believe this movie came out in 2007! I remember watching this with friends New Year's Day 2008. Doesn't seem that long ago, but I guess it was. Oh! And it won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2008. That was a fulfilling culmination to a good movie year. Check out these titles!

I watched this movie in it's entirety for the second time tonight and it holds up against time very well. In fact, as with many good movies, upon second viewing, I caught details I missed the first time and can appreciate more of the acting more since I recognize more of the players.

No Country For Old Men is about a sociopathic mercenary set on a mission to kill a man who got himself involved in something way over his head. The sheriff, who is small town, but not in the figurative sense, finds himself on the bloody trail of this mercenary. I'm being rather vague in my description because it's better to go into this movie knowing as little as possible. This is a Coen Brothers movie, so it is off-kilter from your average movie story lines, full of good actors, acting, and interesting dialogue. I am intrigued by how the Coens managed to maintain an atmosphere of calm panic throughout this film. Masterful!

Even if you've never seen this movie, you've probably heard about the character played by Javier Bardem's exceeding creepiness punctuated by a bowl haircut. If you've seen the movie you might remember that his name, Anton Chigurh, is creepy as well. The sheriff, played by Tommy Lee Jones, really reminds of the sheriff in Misery, especially their relationships with their wives. And wouldn't you know, another creep-master, Garret Dillahunt, is in this as well, but playing a somewhat ditzy, but competent deputy. I recently saw him as KD in Hand of God.

I'm giving No Country For Old Men five stars***** because it is a quality movie with great writing, I enjoyed both the first and second viewings, and I'm sure I will watch it again. It's not exactly a favorite, but I think very highly of this movie and it would probably fall on a list of best movies ever if I was writing it.

1 comment:

  1. I remember this coming out when there were just a bunch of great films at one time. This was when we started watching more movies together as well. I need to watch this again because I recall the first time seeing it and thinking "This is so good but nuts!" I have read a biography about the Coen Brothers and everyone that works with them do not seem to understand how what they have them doing will turn out but love it once they see it.

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