No Country For Old Men

I was going to do a whole post about No Country For Old Men but it just doesn't seem to be in me. Short version: well worth seeing even if you know in advance that the ending rides the short bus.

Josh Brolin (Grindhouse, American Gangster) plays a Texan labourer who comes into possession of $2 million after stumbling across the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. Sending his wife into hiding, he goes on the lam with the money, followed by terrifying hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Tommy Lee Jones plays a sheriff looking into the case.

It's directed by the Coen Brothers (Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou?), so if you're familiar with their work you won't be surprised to find that this is a protracted shaggy dog tale with an ending that spams hard on the epic fail button. The main plot abruptly ends at the 100 minute mark, leaving the movie to shamble aimlessly onward while the audience fidgets uncomfortably.

Despite a conclusion that metaphorically salutes Hitler this is still a hell of a well made movie. With excellent performances all round, great directing and cinematography, and more outrageous Texan accents than you can poke a stick at, No Country For Old Men largely succeeds by keeping each scene independently entertaining.

See the film, enjoy it, and then beat the Coen Brothers savagely around the head until they learn the meaning of the word "resolution".