Review: ‘No Country’ follows Coens’ stellar formula

Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly MacDonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper

Rated: R

Generally speaking, there are two types of moviegoers: The type of people who like certain kinds of movies and/or certain movie stars, and people who love and respect movies as the preeminent 20th century art form that they truly are.

Those of us in the latter category revel in the release of all kinds of films in every genre and have a list of directors whose releases are absolute “must-see” movies. Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Werner Herzog and select others populate those lists.

Near the top of every such collection of directors are the names Joel and Ethan Coen. Since their brilliant debut, the neo-noir classic “Blood Simple,” through their wild comedy “Raising Arizona,” to their masterpiece “Fargo” and their most commercially successful offering “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, the Coens have made some of the most idiosyncratic and innovative films of the last 25 years.

Both types of moviegoers will be pleased with the Coens’ latest offering, “No Country for Old Men,” one of the best films of the year and yet another benchmark in the brothers’ impressive oeuvre.

The Coens (unlike many brilliant directors from Scorsese to Allen) have never made the same movie twice, but “No Country for Old Men” has many of the elements that made “Blood Simple” and “Fargo” such satisfying pieces of work. It was only a matter of time before the Coens had to start copying themselves. Who better to learn from?

The film is based on the book of the same name, written by acclaimed novelist Cormac McCarthy. All of McCarthy’s books are perfect fodder for screenplays – “All the Pretty Horses” made it to the screen in 2000 and “Blood Meridian” and “The Road” are in pre-production. The Coens have mostly remained true to the author while managing to improve (for film purposes) some things here and there. With Tommy Lee Jones in the role of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, the character becomes less “folksy” than he was in the book and a good deal more intense. Even in ostensibly comedic roles (“Men in Black”), Jones has a depth behind his eyes that belies the calm exterior.

The film begins with a chilling voiceover delivered by Sheriff Bell and segues into a scene where Josh Brolin –as the anachronistic cowboy Llewelyn Moss – stumbles onto an ugly scene in the dry outback of west Texas. There are bodies (human and canine) strewn about, several bullet-ridden vehicles and one survivor who is begging for a drink of water. Moss says he has none and moseys on. Later that night he has a tinge of guilt and returns to the scene with some water. The thirsty man is already dead. Moss also finds a suitcase with $2 million in it. It’s money from a drug deal gone bad.

Arriving on the scene are men looking for the money, and Moss barely escapes with his life.

What ensues are episodes of such intense violence and emotion, Moss surely wishes he might have died at the scene of the crime.

Trailing him is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a psychopathic killer that will take his place in the top tier of filmdom’s finest psychos. Chigurh carries an air tank with him and the Coens don’t reveal its purpose until several scenes into the film. At first I thought it might be something like Frank Booth in “Blue Velvet,” hauled around and inhaled from frequently. But Chigurh’s tank has a much more practical – and deadly – purpose.

Chigurh goes on a methodical killing spree. Much like the title character in the “Alien” films, this guy kills anything that gets in the way of his ultimate goal.

As the bodies begin piling up, Sheriff Bell gets involved and tracks Chigurh even as he is tracking Moss. In one scene, while viewing the spoils of Chigurh’s vengeance, Bell remarks, “He’s got some hard bark.” It’s a comment destined for the understatement hall of fame.

Moss finds out soon enough he can run but he can’t hide. Adding to the mix is Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson), a bounty hunter out to recover the money for the businessman who financed the drug deal.

Roger Deakins, a long-time cohort of the Coens (he shot “Fargo” and Scorsese’s sumptuous “Kundun”), provides his usual stunning brand of cinematography, adding a gritty sense of realism to the film’s overall feel. The Coens also decided to let the story unfold without a musical score. This device adds a great deal to the tension. Without musical cues, I found myself anticipating something intense about to happen in every scene. I was rarely let down.

“No Country for Old Men” ranks with the best films the Coens have made, meaning that it ranks with best films anyone has ever made. With McCarthy’s novel as a source, a great cast, a brilliant cinematographer and the genius team of the Coens, movies really don’t get much better than this.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.