DVD Coverart for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN(2008).
© Miramax

Mania Grade: B+
Title: No Country for Old Men
Rating: R
Starring: Javier Bardem, Rodger Boyce, Josh Brolin, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson
Written By: Cormac McCarthy (novel), Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (screenplay)
Directed By: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor: Miramax
Original Year of Release: 2008
Extras: Working with the Coens: Reflections of Cast and Crew, The Making of No Country For Old Men, Diary of a Country Sheriff
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NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The title of the film indicates that yes, there is no country for old men. Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) will never have any of the answers he seeks to why whole the world is changing. Nor will he learn the reason that why men do the bad things that they do. If the film was really from his point of you then why did we spend so much time following Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem)? Their resolution was cheated from us when we actually did return to Sheriff Bell. Before that moment the film clearly was a chase movie belonging to Llewelyn and Anton not an old Sheriff who had a perspective about an ever changing world in which he has no part of except as a bystander.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film despite the spotlighting of Sheriff Bell in its conclusion. I know that it is his story but the reason to watch ‘No Country for Old Men’ over and over again is for Javier Bardem. Bardem’s praise and awards for his portrayal of Anton Chigurh are rightfully deserved. Bardem’s best touch is how Anton responds to all the little day to day chatter in the world. His confrontations both bloody and not make the film worth watch all over again. Without him ‘No Country for Old Men’ would be just as boring as its title. 

Bardem plays a sociopathic monster in ‘No Country for Old Men’; a monster that could, at times, seem to have a softer side. Bardem’s softer moments as Anton come out when he speaks to people confronting them with idle back talk. It was his way of giving them a chance to get out or away from the monster they have just come across. Like a dragon with a riddle Bardem, often become frustrated with their stupidity and allows fate to make a life changing decision. His coin toss is done with such precision and forethought that their end could come so quick that the loser would never know it. This character brought to life with such a cold and calculating precision is worth the gold statue. 

Special Features:

“The Making of No Country for Old Men” is a twenty-five minute documentary with cast and crew interviews. Don’t worry, Ethan Coen actually talks more than he did at the Oscars allowing us insight to what he and his brother where trying to accomplish with their multi genre film. Believe it or not the hardest part to cast in “No Country for Old Men” was the part of Llewelyn Moss. However, what was truly fascinating was learning that Llewelyn’s wife (Kelly Macdonald) is actually Scottish. 

“Working with the Coens: Reflections of Cast and Crew” is the best special feature on the DVD. I often wonder about how a two director set works with such films as ‘Sin City’, ‘the Matrix’ and so on. I found the piece enlightening. The praise of the brother’s work ethic and the environment they create to work was refreshing. Obviously they are prolific in their work, but having a cast and crew discussing how the Coens’ set is the most stress free environment really gave you an insight into how they work.

“Diary of a Country Sheriff” features incoherent interviews featuring both cast and crew. I was hoping for and an actual Sheriff’s perspective on the film. This special feature seems as if it is all the extra footage the cast and crew recorded with their insights into movie. A historical perspective of west Texas during the Mexican Brown Dope influx would have been great. However, this special feature is anything but and a disappointment.

Since ‘No Country for Old Men’ is being released so soon after winning its Academy Awards, this is a bare bones, short on frills DVD. There is no commentary by the Coens or any of the stars. A full length commentary by Bardem and Brolin would be great considering they actually have no screen time together. My prediction is that a special edition will be released this fall. It can’t clean up the Oscars and not provoke the studios to release another edition.