I have a lot of films left to watch from this year, but I am pretty sure that I have now seen one of the best films that 2007 has given us so far. I'm also pretty sure that I have now seen one of the best films that this decade has given us so far as well. No Country for Old Men is as great as the hype surrounding it has made it out to be. It's even way better than the already great buzz that is has. It really is that good.
Much has already been said about it's greatness so I wont make this drag on too much and will basically just echo what others have said. The Coen Brothers have given us their best film since Miller's Crossing (in my eyes at least) and it's one that blends all of their style so perfectly that it's bound to leave everyone in awe of it. Every Coen Brother's trademark is here from the slight surreal atmosphere, the great cinematography, to the great dialogue, to the pitch perfect performances, to even the offbeat dark humor. It's all here and it's as if The Coen Brothers use each one of these elements to paint a film that is so good at times that it will give you chills and leave you on the edge of your seat often.
There are so many perfect,perfect,perfect scenes that you really get a sense that you are watching true masters behind the camera within the first couple of minutes. The Coen Brothers are now passed the point of just being "great directors" and have reached a league of perfection and mastery that few directors have reached. The confidence and execution of almost every scene is just amazing and something that you will just want to watch over and over again in order to pay attention to every last detail. One specific stellar scene that might just be their crowning achievement of their career so far is a shootout/chase scene in a hotel that is soooo good that when the scene finished someone behind me whispered to his friend "fuck, that was good". I agree with this exactly and that phrase basically sums up my feelings about the film.
There are some other things that are worth pointing out as well. The biggest of these things is, of course, Javier Bardem's performance as one of the greatest villains ever. This guy has to win the Oscar. There is no way that no one can not vote for him after seeing him in this. The man is having the time of his life with this role and he has created a performance that will be remembered for a long time to come. It's a bit of shame that this performance is so great that it seems to be drawing all of the award buzz because Kelly Macdonald, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin all put in some great performances as well.
The final thing worth mentioning is what I'm sure will piss off a lot of people when they see the film. This film might just contain one of the most "WTF?!?!!?!" sudden out of nowhere endings that I'm sure will leave most people just scratching their heads. It left me like this but I felt that it was a perfect note to end the film with because it leaves you thinking about what you just saw. I'm not just talking about the specific ending either. It leaves the film stuck in your memory and haunting you for days to come. It's been a couple of days since I saw it and I still can't get it out of my mind.
This is simply an amazing movie that blew me away. If I wasn't such a cheap bastard I would have already gone back to watch again.
- A+
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