I saw No Country for Old Men yesterday afternoon at a local cineplex. This movie is everything I want in a movie thriller. It has it all. The cinematography is superb. The strong production values and the great photography, combined with the overall feel of the film, give many scenes a sense of beauty and loneliness, and of course, foreboding. The writing is awesome. I have always had a respect for the Coen brothers, but it seems to me this film goes way beyond Fargo. Now I definitely have to read the book, and more from author Cormac McCarthy. And the acting is excellent. From the first moments of the film, with the opening narrative read by Tommy Lee Jones, all through to the end, every single character was wonderfully nuanced and truly believable.
This seems to me to be more than a well-crafted character study of incredible evil. I will have to see it again and read the book to delve into it more. I would recommend this film to anyone who loves intense movies which totally draw you in, to the point you are not even aware of how long the movie is. One note: It is definitely violent, so if that is an issue for you, I would not see it. The depiction of violence against both people and animals is tough to watch, but without it I don’t see how the frightening aspect of evil could be effectively portrayed. Like other Coen brothers films, this is not for the squeamish.
The purpose of this post, and future posts on movies, is not to write a review, or deliver a plot summary. It’s mainly for me to jot down notes for my own records. I want to give a rating, recommend or not recommend it, and convey my initial impressions. That being said, I hereby declare the following for No Country for Old Men:
Rating: 
