Be Very Scared Of This Man

Much has already been said about the greatenss of No Country For Old Men.

Let me say a little more.

In a day and age where there are so many terrible movies (P2, Bratz), lame sequels/remakes (Hostel, Halloween), animated movies (Finding Bee Shrekatouille), let downs (Knocked Up, The Departed), and extremely average movies (American Gangster), it is so pleasing to watch something that absolutely blows you away. No Country For Old Men is that movie.

You HAVE to see this movie. It's metacritic scores are off the charts and rightly so. It will not be for everyone, that's for sure. Your average American Moviegoer likes their films all neatly wrapped up and explained, so if you are your average American Moviegoer, do NOT see this movie.

But if you want to see a film that is virtually perfect in every sense of the word, then go see this film. It is what makes a trip to the movies still one of the most enjoyable activities a person can partake in.

I like the Coen Brothers, but I by no means bow at the Ethan and Joel Altar as many do. Fargo is awesome. O Brother Where Art Thou? was overrated. Ladykillers is a shut off. But with No Country For Old Men, they have achieved filmmaking perfection. I really cannot explain how good this movie is.

By now, most of you know the plot and if you don't, go read about it on metacritic. Like I said, the plot will annoy some people because so much of it is unexplained. I'm glad it will annoy people and that will help me make a decision as to whether I like you or not (not that you care). But safe to say, if you you don't like the "unexplained" parts of this film, then you can join the dudes who get barb wire tatoos on their upper arms in the pantheon of people I hate.

The fact that none of this is explained is awesome, because the film is not about the drugs or who wants them and why. It is about Llewelyn Moss and the unfortunate luck he has to find a briefcase full of 100 dollar bills. But again, it is more than just that.

A movie ceases to become a movie when you forget that it is actually a movie (that is either the most nonsensical or pretentious thing I have ever written/said). I frequently say that a movie is just so unbelievable when you look back on it and say, "wait, that was just a movie." This happens infrequently, but in recent histroy it has happened with Sideways, United 93, Before Sunset, and Children of Men. There is nothing better than getting so wrapped up in the characters that you forget they are fake and written for the screen. Sometimes, a script makes the characters seem so forced and so trite that you KNOW they are made up, almost as if they came from a film writing 101 class (the chuckahs in Little Miss Sunshine immediately come to mind). But when the charcters seem so real, that is when a movie is great.

And that is exactly what No Country For Old Men has done. 24 hours later, I am sitting here wondering what has happened to the characters in this film. I am hoping that no one ever meets Anton again (I'll get to this momentarily), and I'm wondering if Tommy Lee Jones will ever be able to live with himself. I'm even wondering about the gas station attendant who was in the film for about 6 minutes (six of the most tension filled minutes in the history of film by the way).

I'm also wondering how a more perfect film could have been made and I can't think of it. There are these long stretches of complete silence that are simply amazing. The fact that The Coens had faith in their script and their actors to allow these scenes to happen is so complimentary to the viewer. There is little (if any) music used in this film and you realize what a powerful (and again, hugely complimentary) tool this can be. You can create tension without a scary soundtrack telling the viewer that they are supposed to be tense or scared or sad. And there is no word better to describe this film than tense. There is one scene so chilling and taut that I literally punched my brother because I just couldn't take it. It was beyond brilliant.

Which brings me to the best part of this movie.

Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh (with Aunt Beru's haircut and the calmest, iciest voice of all time) is the best villain I have ever seen in a film. Ever. And this is from a guy who loves Darth Vader. I was literally scared to walk into my house thinking that Anton might be there, ready to whack me. And why would I be scared of him you ask, seeing as I did nothing to him? Well, ask that same question to the five people who also did nothing to Anton who are now taking the dirt nap.

The fact that a movie can make you so scared of someone seems preposterous, I know, but once you see this movie, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Anton really is scarier than Hannibal Lecter, Michael Myers, The Crawlers, Jaws, Linda Blair possessed, Norman Bates, and that thing behind the dumpster in Mulholland Drive combined. He is pure evil and the fact that anyone who comes into contact with him dies makes him all the more evil. Combine that with his relentlessness, invulnerability, and inability to be reasoned with and you have nothing short of one of the greatest charcaters ever put on the silver screen. And this is not hyperbole.

So you need to go see this movie, just to be horrified. But also appreciate it for the craft. I have never taken a film course in my life and other than the fact that I THINK I know about film, I really know nothing about film. But what I do know is this movie is super entertaining and perfectly crafted. I claim to be a movie snob as you all know, but I hate a lot of pretentious crap. I can be on the side of Average American Moviegoer when it comes to the crap put up by Jim Jarmush and Vincent Gallo. David Lynch can also be annoying, as can David Cronenberg. But you HAVE to appreciate No Country For Old Men, even if you've never liked an art house film in your life. To me, this film was almost the anti Departed. The story was simple enough to be enjoyed as entertainment, but it also had so much going on that you could sit at a coffee shop (okay, you're right: Bar) for hours and discuss it. I won't do that here, but you may see me on an IMDb board doing just that. I will say that it told you plenty, but left a few things to the viewer (which The Departed did not do). It challenged you as a viewer, but made you crack up (Tommy Lee Jones' deputy is a hoot). The symbolism and biblical references were mind blowing and then the tension and action made the two hours fly by. It pushes you to come to your own conclusions, but then has the best sound you've ever heard in a movie (who knew a shotgun could be silenced?). It leaves you asking questions, but makes you feel so much for the central protagonist. It's perfect.

Oh yeah, it also has a guy who will make you check under your bed before you crawl into it tonight.