Watch It, Friend-o
By Jen Chaney, Staff Writer
Washington Post
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
People who have not seen "No Country for Old Men" invariably ask the same question: Is it really that violent?
Well, yeah. At least as violent as one might expect from a film about a remorseless killer who bumps people off with the help of a compressed-air tank. But it's not the blood that gets you. It's the intense sense of foreboding in "No Country" -- the knowledge that, without a doubt, the boots of Anton Chigurh (played by Oscar-winner Javier Bardem) will flash beneath a hotel doorway -- that makes viewers squirm for much of the film's 122-minute running-time.
But this isn't "Saw IV"-style squirming, this is Best Picture-winner squirming. Viewer may occasionally avert their eyes, but they also will marvel at the Coen brothers' masterful direction and puzzle over the meaning behind what may be one of the most maddeningly abrupt endings in cinema history.
Jen Chaney. Given all the accolades earned by this film, including four Academy Awards, fans may expect a DVD with a bit more heft. Unfortunately, a mere three featurettes are the only extras that accompany the movie. The half-hour "The Making of 'No Country for Old Men'," with its excellent behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot, is by far the best of the group; the other two, which focus on the Coens and Tommy Lee Jones's character, can easily be skipped.
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
