by Missy Thompson
STAFF WRITER
The Coen brothers -- Ethan and Joel -- always aim high when they set out to make a film. From "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" to "Fargo" to "The Big Lebowski" they have never failed at making interesting films. Their newest offering is the thriller "No Country for Old Men."
Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Cormac McCarthy, the film was able to capture the terror of the book while adding cinematic twists to the story. To make this inevitable masterpiece, the Coens used some big-name actors -- Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Kelly Macdonald -- to create a terrific film.
"No Country for Old Men" will definitely be nominated for a few Academy Awards. The Coens hard work at making an engaging and exciting film paid off. Their ability to make extraordinary films out of overdone plotlines is amazing. The basic plotline of a drug deal gone wrong with an innocent stranger finding the scene and a killer on the loose has been done many times before. Somehow, and I'm not quite sure exactly how, they took the plot, actors and dialogue and turned it into one of the best films of the year.
While the Coens may receive a lot of the credit for the success of "No Country for Old Men," the characters and acting showcases the talent of many leading stars. Brolin and Macdonald are impressive as a southern couple whose future is shaky. Jones should be used to these type of action-packed films, but his performance in this movie may be the best one he has ever had. The same can be said for Woody Harrleson. Although his role is small, it is definitely vital. There is also Javier Bardem, who has been in a variety of foreign films and a few U.S. ones, but will definitely have his name out there now because I smell an Oscar nod.
The Coens crafted "No Country for Old Men" into a work of art. Very few screenwriters/producers/directors could have made a film as fine as this. It seems they may never go wrong, and "No Country for Old Men" is a marvelous movie.
Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) considers himself to be a simple Southern hunter. He stumbles upon an unusual scene near the Rio Grande where a half dozen or so vehicles are parked and bodies are heaped up on the ground. He finds a large stash of heroin in the back of one of the pick-ups and more than $2 million in a duffel bag.
Llewelyn takes the money, which triggers a chain reaction of violence that seems to never end. He goes back home and tells his wife, Carla Jean (Mcdonald), to take off. Then the aging Sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (Jones), becomes involved. However, he's getting too old for his job and doesn't realize how truly dangerous this situation is.
The danger stems from a mysterious man named Anton (Bardem), who will stop at nothing to get the money. To make things more interesting in his sick mind, Anton flips coins to decide other's fates. Usually, this turns out for the worst.
"No Country for Old Men" tackles issues of drug-dealing and vicious crimes by making them seem universal. Even though this film is set in southern Texas, it could easily happen anywhere, and that's the point the film is effectively trying to make.
Because "No Country for Old Men" is being released at the same time as many other films for the holiday season, it could get overlooked. However, this film is definitely worth seeing.
missy@tooeletranscript.com
Grade: A
Rated: R
Time: 122 minutes
Opens Wednesday