Review: No Country For Old Men

                            An Intense Yet Chilling Thriller That Hardly Has A Song To Set The Mood


                   For those who know that I am a huge film buff, you might be surprised that up until I saw No Country For Old Men, I have never seen a Coen Brothers movie. But now, I kind of want to see the rest of their work after seeing this movie because it is absolutely fantastic.

                   Story:
                  No Country For Old Men is a thriller set in Texas about a man named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who discovers a suitcase full of money while he is hunting pronghorns. Once he takes the money, he then finds himself on the run from a mysterious hitman named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) while an officer named Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who is nearing retirement, becomes involved in this case. 

                   What I Liked About It:
                  While I did think the actors in this film did a fine job, it is Javier Bardem who makes the movie his own. He is absolutely terrifying as Anton Chigurh, a man who is essentially The Grim Reaper incarnate, as he is hardly vulnerable to pain, feels no remorse, and will kill you if you just happen to be in the same room as him or if he gets you to do one of his coin tosses. What makes Bardem's performance so great is his stillness and his eyes that see right through your soul.

                  Another thing that I liked was how the film was entirely void of music. The only sounds that are heard are things from guns shooting to phones ringing to cars exploding. In my opinion, that just adds to the film's creep factor. Also, I applaud the Coen Brothers for blending elements of different genres. To me, this film is like a mix of western, horror, action, drama, and even a bit of dark comedy, and it enriches the experience of watching this marvelous film.

                 What I Didn't Like About It:
                 Nothing.

                 Consensus:
                Overall, No Country For Old Men is a fantastic and chillingly done western horror thriller that leaves you on edge thanks to the omission of music as well as Javier Bardem's performance. This is a thriller that I would highly recommend and I cannot wait to see more films in the Coen Brothers' filmography.

Rating: 5/5