No Country For Old Men (2007)

Right after I finished PTA’s There Will Be Blood (2007), I had a strong feeling that it won best picture at the 2008 academy awards. It had excellent writing, acting, and just seemed like the type of movie that wins best picture. Upon finding out that I was wrong, and the Coen Brothers No Country For Old Men (2007) had snagged best picture, I was absolutely shocked. My brain could not process how something could be better than TWBB. I watched NCFOM with a very critical and curious eye. 

No Country For Old Men (2007) takes place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1980s when Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), stumbles upon the bloody repercussions of a drug deal and takes a briefcase full of cash with him. He soon realizes that he’s being followed by a man of the name of Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a psychotic murderer. Moss is also being hunted down by Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) who contemplates high society while trying to save Moss and conceal a secret of his own. 

I’m going to start off by saying that I really liked this movie. It’s smart, dark, and Javier Bardem’s performance is impeccable. After watching both movies, I personally still believe that TWBB should have won the academy award for best picture, I understand why NCFOM won. Both movies are incredible in their own ways and film is subjective! 

I loved the way this movie made me feel, I felt so entranced by the setting, characters, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the gorgeous cinematography. It’s excellently crafted, leaving you feeling satisfied yet curious by the deep, philosophical ending. This movie leaves you questioning what you saw, and it balances art and amusement in a beautiful way. I like the gritty feel of the film, and I appreciate that (SPOILER ALERT) the unhappy ending. In many other Coen Brothers films, the protagonists either get what they want, but in NCOFM, the protagonists get the other side of the coin.