If you have ever seen the likes of Fargo, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski or O Brother Where art Thou? you will probably be aware that the Coen brothers’ most recent two films, Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers fell considerably short of the high standards we had come to expect from them. That being the case you will be relieved to hear that No Country for Old Men represents a spectacular return to form for Joel and Ethan and stands as possibly their greatest achievement to date.

The majority of the film is occupied by a 90 minute chase between Llewelyn, a regular guy who happens upon $2 million of drug money, and Anton, the brutal assassin sent to retrieve it. Tommy Lee Jones plays Ed, the small town Sherriff who tries to protect Lew from the monster he has unleashed. In Anton Chigurh, the Coen brothers, together with Javier Bardem and author Cormack McCarthy, have created one of the most menacing cinematic villains since Darth Vader took his first steps on the Correllian Corvette.

The often humorous off-beat dialogue, together with some particularly innovative and disturbing weapons and an unforgettable performance from Bardem as the killer with a Beatles-esque hair cut, raise Anton far above the level occupied most of the recent plethora of psychotic killers. The tension is heightened by the skilful direction and the complete uncertainty experienced by the viewer as to which characters will survive. Tommy Lee Jones’ Sherriff represents an effective development of ‘The Stranger’ in The Big Lebowski; an individual only loosely involved in the main events of the film who is nevertheless aware of the nature of what is unfolding and gives various literal and metaphorical incites for the benefit of the viewer. 

The film does not attempt to tie up all of its loose ends and as such concludes leaving several questions unanswered – much to the frustration of the audience in the cinema in which I watched it. However, such an ending is very much in keeping with the themes of chaos and injustice running throughout the film. In contrast to Frances McDormand’s Marge in Fargo, Tommy Lee Jones’ Sherriff finds himself quite unable to control the reckless lawlessness within his region of Texas. He finds that, with age, he is feeling increasingly alienated from the society in which he has spent his whole life. 

It’s always dangerous to watch a film with high expectations but No Country for Old Men didn’t disappoint me on any level and is my favourite film of the last 12 months.

Rating: 9.1/10

To see reviews of the other nominated films, please use the links below.