Review of No Country for Old Men starring Tommy Lee Jones

No Country for Old Men is the latest film from the Coen brothers, and is their best film since the very successful and hugely enjoyable Fargo. Winner of four Oscars including best picture, and best directing, the film has gained infamy for its violent content, but this is not the full story…

The quick plot summary…

No Country for Old Men begins when Llewelyn Moss (played brilliantly by Josh Brolin) finds a pickup truck surrounded by a sentry of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash are still in the back. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the local law enforcement (an aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell played by Tommy Lee Jones) can contain. As Moss tries to evade his pursuers, especially the mysterious
Anton Chigurh (played amazingly cooly by Javier Bardem) who flips coins for human lives, the film simultaneously strips down the American crime drama and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning’s headlines.

Why you should watch No Country for Old Men

Forget the controversy, this is a high quality film, with much, much more to say than just being an outlet for screen violence. The America that is portrayed is completely different to how we normally see it – a gloomy country with not much to offer anyone, let alone ‘old men’. In places, especially the first part of the film, is is filmed in a similar way to Fargo, no bad thing of course, but before long it starts to move from one shocking scene to the next, and completly grips you in the process. Well directed, and brilliantly acted, the film is for once, a very worthy Oscar winner, and the writer of the original story, Cormac McCarthy, will be more than pleased.

Why you should NOT watch I Am Legend

If you are squeamish, or dislike screen violence, this film is not for you.

Summary

“No Country for Old Men” needs watching. By that I mean you can’t just stick it in the DVD player, and let it entertain you – if you do, you will be disappointed. To get the most benefit from it, it needs thinking about, and is one of those films that you will return to watch again later. Its a great film, and is highly recommended.

When to Watch

Watch on a Monday night with some Enchiladas and a few bottles of Corona for that authentic Mexican experience!

Rating:

Where to Buy
‘No Country for Old Men’ won’t be a massive seller, so don’t expect big discounts on it from the bigger retailers, prices are likely to be fairly similar for the next few months, but do shop around anyway. It is available at all the main DVD retailers like Amazon.co.uk and Play. If you don’t fancy buying this title, you can rent ‘No Country for Old Men’ from LoveFilm, but it might need a second watch so don’t return it immediately after renting!

Technical Details
Available on: DVD and Blu-ray Disc
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital
Running Time: 118 minutes
Production Year: 2007
Main Language: English