No Country for Old Men (2007)

I recently read the novel and loved it so much that I wanted to re-watch the film. And, wow, I'm so glad I did. I originally viewed a couple of directing choices as "flawed," but now I agree with them -- rather than sensationalizing some of the events, they were treated as inevitable. It's a choice that truly works for the story.

Over the last 13 years, when I'd think about this movie, it was always Chigurh (Javier Bardem's character) that loomed large -- as though the whole film had been about him. But it's really not: he's just the most unique character. The story belongs to the people coping with a monster rather than to the monster itself. It's about Tommy Lee Jones' weary sheriff and Josh Brolin's savvy, yet decent, blue collar husband. It's even about Kelly Macdonald's scared yet strong young wife. It's about normal people in extraordinary circumstances. 

In my last review I said it was no masterpiece. I was wrong.

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