dzgrrl
Sarasota, FL
Dark, magnificent, darkly comedic Coen Bros violent thriller.
5 star rating

into Independent Films, character-lover, comedy fan, Every day computer user, waiting for the DVD, a fan of clever plots, into action flicks, quality conscious
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Pros

    strong storyline, not typical 'Hollywood' plot, good acting throughout, beautifully shot, tense and suspenseful from the start

Cons
    ultra violent, frightening content, not sure how llewelyn dies

JUL
6
2008

No Country for Old Men (DVD) — 

I love independent movies because their plots don't follow the Hollywood mainstream "cookie-cutter" formulas. The Coen Brothers excel at rebelling against this formula-- thumbing their noses at it, in fact.

This foray into Western movie territory is a slower-moving study, but equally dark and as gruesome as they get, following the path of a trained, brutal killer (whom no live person can identify) in his quest to collect stolen drug money.

"Comedic" portions are but typical Coen flourishes, such as Jones' character's dryly flippant remarks at death scenes, for example. Coen Bros. enthusiasts will find enjoyment in their other trademarks: wide, sweeping camera angles; grainy death scenes; visceral imagery; and the impossible noir drama that only Coen Bros. characters could become entangled within.

Josh Brolin (the thief), Tommy Lee Jones (the sheriff) and Javier Bardem (the hitman) pull off superior performances in this gripping character study that will have one on the edge of one's seat as every turn leads them closer to each other.

The denoument isn't perfect, alas, as this isn't Hollywood, and No Country For Old Men left as gritty a feeling as the sand in one's cowboy boots might after walking many miles on blistered feet, laughing jackals barking in repose. (In other words, a head-scratcher.)

But No Country For Old Men IS a must-see, whether one's a fan of dark comedy, the Coen Brothers, westerns, dramas, thrillers, serial killers, hitmen, or just a good flick in general, it's a strong and suspenseful story that keeps one on-edge for its entirety.



I_thumb_up No Country for Old Men (DVD) is recommended by dzgrrl

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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about dzgrrl’s Review

 


steve9631 wrote on Jul 22, 2008 at 2:30PM

Right on review, it is a great movie. Love the Coen Brothers stuff. Blood Simple, their first, is also one of my favorites.

MikeMaroon wrote on Jul 20, 2008 at 11:40AM

This IS a must see. Thanks for the nice review!

BayouBengal wrote on Jul 10, 2008 at 2:56PM

Nice review. I missed this one, will have to check it out!