no country for old men
Depressing. In one word, that’s what I’d say to sum this film up. It’s a violent drama depicting the disintegration of our society. It’s bleak. It’s intense. And it’s a great film (though most films based on popular books are). It took me quite awhile to concede that I liked it as much as I do. It’s twisted.
The Coen brothers are known for their off-beat and complex films. Their writing is unique in our time, or ever. I admit, I’m a fan. I like what they’ve done in the way of the man who wasn’t there, O Brother, Where art thou?, and Fargo. I loved what they did with the big lebowski. I was curious, because this was a book adaptation, how this film would reflect their style. It was surprisingly similar. They seem to have found a book they could identify with as far as writing.
Basically, the film centers around a few characters that are confused opportunists and an assassin. There’s a fog of uncertainty obscuring the lines of right and wrong. The sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones), over the course of the film, becomes more and more disconcerted with the state of things around him. He’s disoriented in the wave of modern violence and longs for the days when sheriffs were respected. He sees nothing but death around him, and as we are taken along a violent struggle between an assassin and an opportunistic Vietnam veteran who comes upon a horrific scene, it only gets worse.
The directing is spot on. It’s almost a dreary film, with little visual contrast. The story toggles between the sheriff’s investigation and the assassin’s pursuit and the opportunist’s desperate attempts to escape with his bounty. The scenery is stark and the sets are drab. The mood, translated through the lens, is heavy, almost oppressive.
The acting is great in its subtlety. The characters are ordinary people, put in an extraordinary position. The only exception being the assassin, played by Javier Bardem (the sea inside). He is cold, calculating, and his voice is transfixing. There is no reaction to any of his many kills, and there is no remorse or afterthought shown in his eyes. Tommy Lee’s performance is impressive. You can almost feel the weariness with him.
I hadn’t read the book, so the story was surprising. It was unpredictable and spliced together very well. The pace kept me at the edge of my seat, but eased up when necessary. I’d recommend this to almost anyone, but it may leave you uneasy.
***** (upon further review, this is easily worth five)