In my opinion the Coen brothers never get enough credit. In my eyes Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most exciting and gripping filmmakers that Hollywood has been lucky enough to produce. Their cinematic résumé is a thing of beauty (minus The Ladykillers), taking westerns, comedies, thrillers, dramas, romances and a bunch of others and adding their own Coen-charm. Each film offers something new, exciting and fresh (again, minus The Ladykillers) and their 2007 film No Country for Old Men is no different.
Directed by the aforementioned Coen brothers, the oscar winning neo-Western thriller No Country for Old Men is one of my favourite films. Directed with the touch of beauty, acting with subtlety and suspense from an all star cast and music that is perfectly in tone with the dark, foreboding atmosphere the film is trying to portray, No Country for Old men works in every department.
The film's strong point (and that's saying a lot when you think of the directing) is Javier Bardem's character of Anton Chigurh which rightfully earned him the best actor nod and that years oscars. Menacing doesn't begin to describe the subtle genius of this character made amazing by exceptional directing and writing - but by even more exceptional acting ability by Bardem. He sells this movie. In a movie of long suspense and winding tension, Bardem is the corkscrew turning the suspension up, every time he is onscreen it being like a present as we welcome back this evil, despicable character, waiting in bated breath what atrocities he will bring to the characters onscreen next.
The Coen brothers expertly craft a dark, gritty thriller which I would easily place on my top 5 films list, a film that I enjoy time and time again. It is so close to a perfect score, however when I compare it to Pulp Fiction there is something lacking, perhaps it's replayability factor, but nevertheless its a near perfect film that I will be enjoying countless times in the future and if you've not seen it yet, then you will be enjoying soon.
My score: 9/10
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