Tom Elce reviews Coen brothers’ 2007 film No Country for Old Men a film, that’s been nominated for 8 Oscars this year.

The tagline for “No Country for Old Men” is “there are no clean getaways” and that holds true over the film’s 122 minutes, misguided Llewelyn Moss’ (Josh Brolin) attempts to escape ruthless assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) becoming an increasingly messy situation from a personal standpoint the further he flees. Lest readers get the wrong idea, then, it should be said up front that “No Country for Old Men” itself is anything but messy. A clean, concise near-masterpiece that gorgeously tells a gritty, dark story without seeming to put a foot wrong, the film is the first film directed by the Coen Brothers since 2004’s “The Ladykillers” and their best since 1996’s “Fargo.” Truly, it is a marvel of storytelling and straightforward momentum with tension to rival any claustrophobic horror, style to rival any other cinematically released film of the year and enough intelligence about it that it surpasses the bulk of film adaptations of written source material ever to be filmed.

Based on Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed 2005 novel of the same name, “No Country for Old Men” is set in dusty sundrenched Texas, which plays host to an illicit drug deal gone wrong. In 1980, hunter Llewely Moss happens upon a scene of carnage, massacred bodies in and around a gathering of cars, and makes the mistake of his lifetime. He steals a suitcase containing two million dollars from the scene and takes it home to his trailer and wife Carla Jean (Kelly Macdonald) mistakenly believing that his actions won’t have consequences. Soon enough, however, it becomes clear that he won’t be able to run from his mistake when Llewelyn is forced to go on the run, merciless hitman Anton Chigurh hot on his trail, leaving a trail of his own - consisting of battered, bloody bodies - as he pursues. Drawn into it all is county sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), himself always seeming a step or two behind each man as he tries to make sense of the situation. As is, Llewely is now realising that all his recent actions could have the most serious ramifications.

Complexity in the guise of seeming simplicity, “No Country for Old Men” says so much without any of the verbosity of less independent-minded studio thrillers often theatrically released today. Screenwriters and directors the Coen brothers deserve massive praise for what they achieve here, their translation of McCarthy’s novel is a faithful adaptation nonetheless rich in their own style, an ingenious thriller wherein the characters’ philosophication is never hyperbolic and the story proper is treated without cowardice or formula being applied. The scene in which Llewelyn discovers the bloody site on which he finds his cash and, perhaps, his death sentence, too, is atmospheric and scary, Llewely being unsure whether the assailant is still around and, also, whether he should take his “prize” in lieu of alerting the proper authorities and doing the right thing. This scene is handled excellently (and is just one of many examples of such great craftsmanship), Llewely being given a moral dilemma without the screenwriter-directors sermonizing when he eventually comes to make the most questionable decisions.

From this point onwards, the film is a runaway razor-sharp delight for anyone discontented with the large quantity of preposterous thrillers released these days, bankrupt of any crude Hollywood overkill, pitch-perfect almost constantly. The graphic violence comes at a frequent rate but never seems exploitative or gratuitous. Instead, the violent deaths along the way are fittingly frightening and treated as individual tragedies. Better still, as magnificently handled as they are these scenes still aren’t the most unnerving ones. Moreso, it is the scenes where bloodshed seems only an instant away if someone makes the wrong move, that work greatest. One, set at a gas station in which Anton dares another man to guess the flip of a coin, unsettling both the man and the viewer in the suggestion of what he might or might not do if his opponent guesses it incorrectly. This scene is, quite simply, brilliant.

The acting performances, all of them understated and pitch-perfect, are faultless, each person becoming their characters wonderfully. Indeed, “No Country for Old Men” could boast the best ensemble cast of the year. Josh Brolin is excellent as would-be protagonist Llewelyn Moss. As opposed to being a straight-and-narrow good guy, his character is arguably the more flawed person on show. He plays him extremely well. Better still is Javier Bardem, turning in a truly awards-worthy performance bereft of any imperfections as the ruthless Anton Chigurh. Terrifying without breaking a sweat, furrowing his brow or casting a menacing grin, Chigurh is a phenomenal villain played superbly by Bardem, who understandably has an Oscar nomination for his efforts. He deserves whatever awards are sent in his direction.

Tommy Lee Jones, meanwhile, plays sherrif Ed Tom Bell very well, himself never seeming to break a sweat in his portrayal. Also making an impression is an against-type Woody Harrelson, suitably repellent as the sarcastic Carson Wells, who shows up on the scene with a mission to retrieve the very same cash Llewelyn has made off with. Harrelson has rarely been as good as this on camera. Rounding out the rest of the central cast, Kelly Macdonald is a wonderful presence whenever on-screen, her relationship with husband Llewely loving in spite of some irreverence towards each other (a scene in which her mother, his mother-in-law, comes into discussion is surprisingly hilarious). The only fault with her character is not in her performance, but more in that her character disappears for too long stretches of time to the point where the viewer doesn’t get to see enough of her reaction to her husband’s sudden rush cross-country. It is the only noteworthy flaw in a script that is otherwise seamless.

“No Country for Old Men” is greatly manufactured cinema of a very high calibre that presents a suitably flawed protagonist not free of mistakes and a psychopathic villain who sees other humans as expendable regardless of who they are and what their lives entail. When others might have gone for farcical attempts at spontaneity and gimmickry, the Coens play everything straight and deserve considerable praise for it. Theirs has rightfully been nominated for the Best Picture prize and, if their is any justice, will walk away with the golden statuette, though I personally wouldn’t begrudge “Juno” or “There Will Be Blood” for winning it. Superb constantly, “No Country for Old Men” is raw, mighty filmmaking that further cements the Coens’ standing as two of the most influential directors working today.

My Rating: Directors: Ethan Coen and Joel Cohen

Cast: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Beth Grant, Barry Corbin, Stephen Root, Rodger Boyce

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