And the Best Picture goes to....

“No Country for Old Men”, directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, is a film adaptation of a novel by Cormac McCarthy. With its stark visuals set against the unforgiving landscapes of western Texas, the film delves deep into themes of morality, violence, and the randomness of death.  The Coen brothers’ direction and Roger Deakins’ cinematography create an atmospheric and visually striking film, and viewers may notice that the minimal score consists of pretty much ambient sounds, which further enhance the bleak tone of the film.  

Set in 1980, the plot begins when Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a welder and Vietnam War veteran, stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong in the desolate West Texas landscape. He discovers a briefcase containing two million dollars and decides to take the money for himself. This decision sets off a brutal and relentless cat-and-mouse game involving three central characters: Moss, the remorseless killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones).

Javier Bardem won a Best Supporting Oscar for his portrayal of Anton Chigurh.  His character displays a chilling blend of calmness and brutality, which keeps the viewer on their toes as they anticipate this antagonist’s next move.  Equipped with a silenced shotgun and an air compressor used to execute victims, Chigurh epitomizes the randomness of violence and the idea of fate, sometimes leaving the lives of his victims to the flip of a coin.

Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss is depicted as both flawed and resourceful. Initially, he is portrayed as a clever protagonist, but his choices continuously put him and his family in harm’s way. As he transforms from the hunter to the hunted, which serves as the central plot of the film, we have to ask ourselves if the two million dollars is really worth all the trouble of being stalked by a psychopathic serial killer?

To be honest, I enjoyed the first half of “No Country for Old Men,” which had the tension of a well-crafted thriller, reminiscent of the 1958 film “Touch of Evil.” However, I struggled with the pacing during the last hour, and many questions remained unanswered. Why exactly is Chigurh pursuing Moss and the money? Is he meant to be the embodiment of evil? If that’s the case, he might as well be Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees.

We also don’t learn much about Carson Wells (played by Woody Harrelson) or the organization he works for. It’s unclear how he managed to find the briefcase so easily in the brush at the border. Additionally, did Chigurh actually kill Carla Jean? We never hear a gunshot or a scream, which leaves that question hanging.

Although the film is thought-provoking, its pacing issues and many plot holes detract from the overall enjoyment, and to me it was like a high-brow version of “Halloween.”