The year 2007. What a time to be alive. I have some good memories from life back then, and my love of movies was maybe at it's highest. I still love movies but I also got into reading and slowly the internet inserted itself into the world. I remember always wanting to see 'No Country for Old Men'. It was winning a ton of awards and had substantial hype. The whole time people were buzzing about this movie, I had no idea what it was even about. The 'Old Men' part in the title of the movie always sort of baffled me.
My gosh, I was missing out all these years, because 'No Country for Old Men' is amazing! What immediately stands out to me about this movie is that the vibes are epic. Yes, the vibes. A very lazy way to describe this movie but I can try and elaborate.
'No Country For Old Men' had the perfect blend of mystery, intensity and suspense. A dash of humor. The sceneries/aesthetic was stunning, the story and acting was gritty. The camera quality was soooo good yes even eighteen years later. I guess that itself is a good quality a movie can have, but this movie felt like an Old Western movie, shot with modern (I guess semi modern) picture quality. Like, I can't explain how cool that was to experience. Even eerie.
The acting was stellar by everyone involved, but also I think the casting was pretty much flawless. Seriously, it was a deadly combo. It felt like Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem were born to play these characters. Tommy Lee Jones was great as well.
I am fascinated by history. I was not born in 1980 as this movie takes place or anything, but I am without a doubt heavily involved with people from that time period. That time period does have an impact on my life and well, anyone who is alive today really. This idea is trippy enough but I'll try not to get way too crazy HA.
Thinking how this movie takes place in 1980 intrigues the more I think about it. The eighties are considered a pretty 'modern' time period which it is, but still, the fifties for people in 1980 is basically the same as 2002 for people nowadays if that makes sense. Things have progressed/changed but, you can still very much sense and feel fairly connected to the previous era. 'No Country For Old Men' is so one of a kind because it feels authentically like a Western movie while it also feels like an authentic modern action movie. A hybrid feel that works sooooo well.
To even add some layers to this film's intrigue and 'versatility' for a lack of a better word is the fact that this was released in 2007. The picture quality and filming style felt very much like a 2000's movie. Like, even without having the knowledge prior, I could have probably guessed just by looking at the picture quality and overall style when 'No Country For Old Men' came out.
Considering how Ed is an old man in 1980, then how Llewelyn and Anton are pretty much in their prime/early-ish middle age of their lives, then the quality and era the movie was ACTUALLY released, this movie does such a cool job at helping the watcher sort of relate to a specific time period. This movie will age pretty well I believe. Nuts.
2007 had JUST birthed iPhones, the only major taste of modern social media were the MySpace days. In 2007 I am sure many people could still easily remember 1980. 2007 is arguably the last year where things felt semi 'normal' to many people before social media, smart phones and other inventions have begun to take shape. I mean, Bitcoin was released the year after 'No Country for Old Men' came out!
Time has no mercy. I wonder how society is going to change in the next twenty-forty years? I wonder how I'll see the world, I wonder what my son will grow old to see? We should all do our best to make sure the next generation doesn't fall apart.
This story was simple, blunt and mean. The action was epic as I said. It felt like Anton could sneak through the screen and get me himself! The man was scary.
Pretty much everything about this movie I loved. Then the ending happened out of nowhere WHAM. I was upsetttttt. I want the good guys to win every time! HA.
I really didn't like the ending at first, but I was so spoiled throughout the whole movie that, getting smacked with the ending sort of anticlimactically actually felt fair and made me respect the movie a lot more. Life is scary and thrilling and epic, then it just ends. No matter what. A lot of lessons to be had in many different ways throughout this movie. I'm sure if I re watch this someday, I'll be able to find different lessons or different ways of looking at it.
What a movie! I can't say enough good things. This feels like it possibly cracked top twenty for me all time. Ranking movies is hard but, this is definitely one of my favorites!