Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning “No Country For Old Men’ a grim, suspenseful film

Time to wrap up my series of Oscar-nominated films with the 2007 Coen Brothers film “No Country for Old Men,” which is based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name.

While out hunting, Llewelyn Moss finds the grisly aftermath of a drug deal. Though he knows better, he cannot resist the cash left behind and takes it with him.

The hunter becomes the hunted when a merciless killer named Chigurh picks up his trail. Also looking for Moss is Sheriff Bell, an aging lawman who reflects on a changing world and a secret of his own, as he tries to find and protect Moss.

I’ll admit when I first watched this 2007 film when it was first released, I wasn’t really into it. And, after a few more revisits to the Coen Brothers Best Picture winner over the years, the film grew on me.

“No Country For Old Men” can be a little slow moving at times, especially during the first few scenes of the film. The first half of the film is actually quite interesting since the dialogue throughout the first half is sparse and that works out well for this film. I think the low amount of dialogue really helps make the story stronger, especially when we get introduced to the Chigurh character.

Javier Bardem’s portrayal of the merciless killer, Chigurh, is absolutely iconic and quite intense when he needs to be. Despite him not saying that much throughout most of the film, it adds to some of the tense moments that he has in the film. It also adds to the intensity of his character and that intensity even makes some small moments, such as when he has a little game of coin toss with a gas station owner, truly memorable.

Some of the scenes that involve Chigurh tracking down Moss with the money’s tracker are really tension-building. There’s a moment at the second hotel Moss stays at and we see and hear Chigurh’s tracking device going off as he gets closer to Moss’ room. That entire scene, and the moments that follow, will definitely have you at the edge of your seat as the suspense really builds.

“No Country For Old Men” is also extremely well shot and this 2007 Oscar winner delivers us some great performances from Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem (who won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award). When the film was initially released, it actually divided audiences with its anticlimactic and ambiguous ending. “No Country For Old Men” was nominated for several Oscars: Best Picture (won), Best Director (won), Best Supporting Actor (won), Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Cinematography (nominated), Best Editing (nominated), Best Sound Editing (nominated), Best Sound Mixing (nominated).

You can currently stream “No Country for Old Men” on Paramount Plus and other various PVOD rental services.

Writer’s note: For the month of April, I plan on checking out a few films that are based on books, along with a few baseball-related films since baseball season is finally upon us!! I will also be checking out some selections from the upcoming Spring Film Festival that the Dietrich Theater will be hosting, along with the usual new releases that are coming right up! And to coincide with the upcoming Spring Film Festival, I will be taking a look at a few other independent films! Make sure to keep on checking my Facebook page - Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews by Matt Palmer - to see what I will be working on down the road!

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