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| Minimalist poster, showing the role of fate |
Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen (based on the book by Cormac McCarthy)
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
Music: Carter Burwell
Time: 122 minutes
Bottom-line: One of the best cat-and-mouse dramas ever!
This neo-noir Western thriller is one of the best works of the Coen brothers thus far, and proves to be very tough to beat! Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, along with Woody Harrelson, this film explores how fate treats three different men all involved in one plot.
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| Brolin as Moss |
1980, Texas: After a monologue by the Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Jones), the story starts with Anton Chigurh (Bardem), a prisoner who escapes after strangling the cop who arrested him. His weapon is a captive bolt pistol. Meanwhile, welder and Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) comes across a failed drug deal in the desert; he finds several people murdered, and a suitcase containing two million dollars. With greed overcoming his conscience, Moss decides to take the case home, but soon he is pursued by two strangers. He sends his wife to safe custody and flees. We now understand that Chigurh is a hitman hired to retrieve the case. So as Chigurh starts hunting down Moss, his wife becomes concerned and asks Bell to protect her husband. As the three men interfere in each other’s lives, they realise one thing – there are no clean getaways...
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| Bardem as Chigurh, with his weapon |
The storyline is simply brilliant. From the moment Moss picks up the case, you know the chase has started, and then it never stops. Every scene your heart beats loudly and your hands start trembling. The cinematography and editing are so perfectly done that each sequence has the right amount of screen time to give that suspenseful feeling. The film is kind of a case study of how fate can control your life, with just enough violence to make sure it has an impact – Moss decides to follow his greed, and his life has one story; Chigurh is the merciless killer who will go to any length to retrieve the money, and how his life turns out is also shown. The only clean character seems to be Sheriff Bell. With this theme, the story is built and is supported by the drama of the cat-and-mouse chase in the desert landscape of Texas.
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| TLJ as Sheriff Bell |
The film has no grand climax, but it is those little incidents during the film that you should look out for, especially Chigurh’s encounter with the old man at the shop. The dialogues are exceptional, and they carry a nervous humour along with them; the way he taunts the man into deciding whether he should live or not, is chilling! If this guy isn't a terrifying villain, I don't know who is! Javier Bardem is the exact guy to portray this character, with his build, accent and just enough facial expressions; it was a well-deserved Oscar win. His hitman character, with his captive bolt pistol, is truly scary... particularly in that scene where he assaults the motel guests! I also liked Josh Brolin’s acting as Moss, and I think he did an excellent role of playing the “mouse” of the movie. If it wasn’t for the acting, the film would have never been as great as it is considered now.
The ending does not exactly tie up all loose ends, but it makes one thing clear – you can't stop what's coming. Everyone gets what they deserve, and it is entirely up to fate.
My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
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