No Country for Old Men (2007).
Well, Its about time.
Written and Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen.
Based on the book by: Cormac McArthy.
Starring: Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones.
Well its about time right here to get blown away. Please welcome Ethan and Joel Coen. They are carrying a metal cylinder filled to the top with a gas, under high pressure. They are going to aim the pressure hose on your forehead and put a hole about two inches deep. You fall on the floor and thats the story of you.
No Country for Old Men is a western set in the 1980’s. While hunting for deers Llewlyn Moss (Josh Brolin) comes across a case full of hard cash amongst dead bodies. As aware as he is to face a shower of bullets, hardly he is aware of facing Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Anton is someone who would kill even after getting the money just for the inconvenience he had suffered, as Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) mentions to Llewlyn who is under a medical observation in an hospital for the wounds he suffered from …………..well, Anton. So what happened, and what would happen? Even if you guess you are not going to believe what happens in this country.
If you appreciated the cold-blooded wood-chipper body disposal in Fargo (1996) or fearless furious bullet shooting by Albert Finney in Miller’s Crossing (1990) then you would know how fantastically Coen Brothers directed those crime thrillers. No doubt they have tight screenplays but also they sure do take their time to make a point and numb you. The visuals are gritty, bloody and absolutely extraordinary. There are sounds, there are shadows, there are quiet walks and there are blow ups of cars. And then there are punch lines like “How much you have ever bet on a coin toss?” Coes brothers come back after almost a decade with never before energy and a sharp edged knife. I smell Academy nominations for adapted screenplay and direction. This is a marvellous creation.
One face is unforgettable on this desert and that is Javier Bardem’s outlaw. He is innocently quiet and stays that way while terrorizing every one who crosses his path. His self sufficient operation of bullet ridden wounds lets you know that help is the last thing he needs. He has all the tools and if there is something missing, he has the brain and guts to get it. He has no sympathy but just a determination and will cross boundaries to follow that determination. This is perhaps the baddest character after Tony Montana and his “little friend”. Absolutely Unforgettable.
Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones as the sheriff are also entertaining and believeable. Woody Harrelson makes a short appearance with the same mystic smile from Natural Born Killers. But in the end its the desert of Texas and the deep philosophical roots that perhaps are dying with the old cowboys since the new outlaws make you forget the “ethical” Clint Eastwood from Dollar Trilogy.
Please go and watch this intense heart-stopping drama that would keep you on the edge of the seat.
My rating: 10/10.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
grear review pal…just cant wait for it…
big admirer of Coen brothers..
Yet to explore Coen brothers work…might as well start with this!!
Jateen, where did u catch it? U live in LA area… limited release in the US… can’t find it in my area.
Great review man… 10/10, wow… that’s bold! Big Fan of Coen bros… will watch!
Mainak bhai… 10/10, wat say?
Finally!! Had been hoping someone would mention NCFOM and the Coen’s in general. No good cinema forum is complete without mention of the Minnesota brothers (imo)
There is an awesome article/interview in this month’s edition of Empire that features Javier Bardem and his experience working on the movie and with the brothers. Really interesting read for us Coen junkies :d
“ravptor”
I Live in Dallas area. You should not miss this movie.
Jateen you from dallas …..Myself from houston and OM is from Austin….we should meet up sometime….
Varun anna… us posted from OM bhai’s account… Minor on the comment… abhi nahi utra kya??? ( still high huh???)
Jateen
let me make you jealous.
I saw NCFOM last week followed by a QnA with the cast & the DP.
Followed by talking to Javier Bardem(my fav actor) while standing in line to pee
Followed by smoking with Josh Brolin outside the theater.
It was awesome.
*****
Last Film – The Savages(6/10)
@ 2 sourav –
Try watching in this order –
Blood Simple (their first) 1986
Fargo (academy award and all that) 1994
No Country 2007
You will see echoes of each story in the others and you can observe the linearity of their mastery with the above. This is what they do best.
- The Man who wasn’t there (I am yet to figure out what went wrong with this movie. It has all their favorite themes in place, but something didn’t click. Contrast with the above three.
Then to get a feel for their comedy and absurdity, watch –
- Raising Arizona
- Big Lebowski
- O brother where art thou
- intolerable cruelty
– That movie with tom hanks (their weakest film in my opinion)
Then round it off with the oddball –
Hudsucker Proxy
Barton Fink
And save the best for last – Miller’s Crossing
They have disappointed but they always engage. Perhaps among the best filmmakers out there that deliver consistently. And they write, direct, and edit their own films. They have a great ear for dialogue. My favorite line –
Byrne – “Storm me up a gargle”
when he is asking for a drink in Miller’s Crossing.
Deakins their frequent collaborator/cinematographer, produces the best work with them.
Enjoy your dicovery.
brilliant movie..
but.. the last 10minutes ..
i just dont get it!