wow. that's really the only word that comes to mind, as arcane and simple as it may seen. it's very rare that a movie effects me so much so that I literally can't stop talking about it. "no country for old men" is one of the most intriguing, edge-of-your-seat rides i've had in a long time. not only is the acting top-notch, the cinemtography breathtaking, and the action intense, but the writing is strange, fresh, and rough around the edges. javier bardem as our bad guy scared me from the first time he appeared on screen. his intensity was there from moment one and never waivered. josh brolin as the cool, calculated, and curious llewelyn moss was equally interesting to watch. other performaces of note were tommy lee jones (who was made to play this role and who delivers a killer final monologue), garrett dillahunt as the sincere, comedically oblivious deputy wendall, and kelly macdonald as carla jean moss, the simple-spoken southern wife.
most commendable, however, were writer/directors joel and ethan coen. there western take on a "chase film" was riveting to experience. one thing that i really liked was the lack of exposition and explanation. the writing and characters in their present circumstances were enough to sustain us through the film. the characters had no dialogue that "spoon-fed" the audience nor did the dialogue follow conventional theatrically written moments. this dialogue was unique, off-beat, and, often times, too real.
it really says a lot for a film when you leave realizing that there was not ONE SINGLE NOTE OF MUSIC in the entire film. yet, you were just as emotionally connected as ever. i was squinting through open palms at every turn and the long moments of silence only added to the tension. my heart was racing and i was genuinely nervous waiting to see what would happen next. that's a great way to see a film, not just to see it but to fully experience it.
i need to see this again. it's just THAT good.
side note: did you know that the coen brothers also edit most of their own films? the use an alias: Roderick Jaynes
