No Country For Old Men

Joel and Ethan Coen, USA, 2008, 122 minutes

Another amazing film by the Coen brothers, with a brilliant performance from Javier Bardem, who barely says anything throughout the film, which makes his character all the more effective for it. Bardem definitely deserved his oscar win for his portrayal of a hitman on the tail of a trailer park loser played by Josh Brolin. Brolin steals a suitcase full of money from the scene of a drug sale gone wrong and Bardem is employed to get it back, spending the rest of the film hot on his trail, and leaving a path of death and destruction as he hunts for him. The film also features Tommy Lee Jones who is, as always, outstanding as the local sheriff, whose job it is to find who is responsible for the trail of bodies.

The film is a thrilling experience which rarely loses pace once it gets going and is dotted with moments of black comedy which will have you laughing out loud (if your sense of humour is warped enough).

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Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2008