Review of No Country for Old Men (2007) by Larry H — 06 Aug 2017

But at the same time it harkens back to the roots of cinema, recalling Hitchcock and Leone, and Welles's Touch of Evil, as a combination of the best of noir and westerns. There are so many exceptional shots and lighting, so much depth to the perception of the characters through the mis-en-scene, so much tension, that through this it's all up to the actors to make or break the near-perfection that is the McCarthy source.

Bardem embodies Anton like no other could: you can't even look into his eyes without wincing, often steel-cold and horrifically professional (to what profession... who can say?). Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are also fantastic; we see Brolin often in the midst of an action scene, a moment of 'save-your-life' going on, and one can finally see an actor of his caliber completely breaking out in a role that doesn't require him to ever totally "emote".

Jones, on the other hand, gives a compassionate turn in a film that's about the struggles of desperate men in a land without law and order. He's gone through so much that it comes out completely in his voice and eyes, sorrowful but holding back, and he reaches a level of connection with the character that makes the Fugitive look like simpleton TV.

Kelly McDonald, who plays Lleland's wife, is also excellent when called upon, especially in a crucial scene later in the film.