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No Country for Old Men is a dark thriller set in West Texas back in 1980. It documents the choices and consequences of three primary characters who never meet face to face on the screen. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a typical townie living in a trailer with his fiancé when he comes across a briefcase filled with $2 million in cash that is left in the open after a drug deal gone bad. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is a ruthless killer with no conscious and has his eyes set on the money, as well as Moss. Rounding out the main characters is Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) who is reluctantly trying to fix this mess while dealing with the demons that surround him in a world that has gone violently wrong.

The story is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy and is almost identical in everything. Moss is your anti-hero who is trying to stay one step ahead of the intelligent and cold-blooded Anton. He’s savvy in his escapes and innovative in his approach, but ultimately his greed has placed his and his fiance’s life in danger. He’s outwardly arrogant yet inwardly projects a character unsure of his fate. Brolin is outstanding in his role as Moss and never lets the audience figure out whether they should be rooting for him or against him.

Anton Chigurh is a criminal that is as memorable as any you’ll ever come across on the big screen. Akin to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, this cold blooded killer actually gets you to root for him at times throughout the movie. His choice of weapons (captive bolt pistol used for killing steer) is as unique as his personality. While he hunts Moss, he runs into Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) who is hired by another party interested in recovering their money. The interaction between these two “professionals” is magnificent and accounts for one of the best scenes in the film. Overall, this is one of the biggest bad asses you’ll ever see in a movie.

Finally we come to Sheriff Bell, who is actually my favorite character of the film and seemingly ties together the plot and themes behind No Country for Old Men. He’s a multi-generational Sheriff who has seen the world take a violent turn for the worse. Life seems to be speeding past him and each scene he is in helps narrate a theme that evil can’t be stopped. His own world may be the most tragic part of the story and he plays the role of the moral center throughout the picture. He’s a man who dedicated his life to law and has realized that he hasn’t changed anything.

The movie is dark, violent, and pure Coen Brothers. If you’re a fan of their previous works like Fargo, you’ll love No Country for Old Men. It’s not for everyone and has some drawbacks. While the Coen Brothers can create a movie as encompassing as anyone, they have trouble finishing movies. The ending is open ended and while profound, does leave you with an empty feeling.

Overall though, No Country for Old Men has deserved its critical praise and is arguably one of the best movies of 2007. It’s not for the masses, and clearly not a film fit for mainstream Hollywood. It’s a violent look into humanity, and touches deeply on both fate and circumstances. Its characters are mesmerizing and never let you decide who’s side you should be on. This movie comes highly recommended and should be watched when you can give it your undivided attention for two and a half hours.

Bonus: There is about 40 minutes of extras on the disc. No commentary in this release. One featurette is a “Making of” that runs about 30 minutes and talks about how it was made from the novel to the big screen. The second is a “Working w/ the Coens” and is basically a handjob from the other staff members to the brothers. Lastly a piece on the Sheriff that should have been longer as he was the most fascinating character in the film.

This DVD was received in 1 day from Netflix.