No Country for Old Men

“No Country for Old Men” –
Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson

This was more like no movie for the audience. And this won Oscars? The Coen Brothers have found their new ghoulish muse in Bardem, he is like a Vampirish version of Bandera, and needs a new hair cut badly. Jones has seen better days, he isn’t aging gracefully and as much as I’ve always enjoyed his talent, it is now painful to see him on the screen. Brolin still can’t carry a movie and they seem to keep expecting him to. I know they are saying he is truly hitting his stride, unless that is his stride off the screen, I don’t see it. Harrelson was the light point in this. He always delivers unexpected performances and this was no exception even for a cameo. I grant you that the plains of Texas, windswept, littered with bodies, lawless in a world of drug smuggling and lies is No Country for Old Men, but clearly it isn’t a country for young men or women either as evidenced by the demise of Brolin and his screen wife. This was dark, bleak, and not entertaining in the least. Fargo is still their best and most creative, at least they gave Bardem a nail gun instead of a gun through half of this as an original weapon of choice.