No Country or Old Men'

Overall Impressions:
Warning: Spoilers Ahead - Starting with the beginning? You hear a voice-over that speaks of how back in the old days the Police didn't carry weapons, as they didn't really need to. Things were sane -- suggesting now things are kinda different. Once it starts shedding light on this factor, it's not unreasonable to say Javier Bardem takes you straight in to his character of Anton Chigurh and the extremes he will go to achieve his goals. Though he is a calculating murderer, it has to be said he's pretty damned cool. His meticulous approach to shielding himself from any of the mess, yet effectively taking the lives that he has to -- in a twisted kind of way, is almost admirable.

Next we meet Josh Brolin who stumbles upon some riches at the dope deal gone wrong, as a dying man requests water from him & he has none, he then makes the stupid mistake of returning to the crime scene (out of guilt). As he is identified by the relevant parties, it is so that the cat & mouse games begin.

Somewhere miles behind this cat and mouse is Tommy Lee Jones, still playing the guy out to catch the criminal (ala Fugitive, U.S Marshalls) and still failing at it. Actually this times he's so far behind we rarely see any of this trio in the same frame of the film.

What follows from here is some great character development, a tension building piece where you struggle to decide who to root for. On the fence somewhat, you can't help but like them all, but inside you know that in the end someone has to lose.

When it comes to that point (the end that is), you're in for a bit of a surprise. The film skips past the cat & the mouse and ends on Tommy talking just as the film opened, about how it's "No Country For Old Men" Though it's kinda smart, it's a bit of a downer after the tension has been built-up so well. I felt cheated somewhat by the climax. Not because we don't see a bloodbath (though I wouldn't have complained), but because it is almost akin to a meal with no dessert. Wait perhaps a bad example..

Let's assume you were told you could have dessert if you eat your meal first. Then as you finished your vegetables you were then robbed of your dessert. That is how I felt. So does the ending ruin the entire film? That's the tough question, I'm going to say no. Purely because I am still glad I saw it & enjoyed most of it. Overall, I'd say it is a pretty good film, but I can see that it won't be palatable to all.

Even those keen on the critics-choice films may be a little disappointed, particularly with the over-blown hype. The imdb puts it in the Top 250 films ever, this is a little excessive in my opinion. The main problem around this film is expectations. The people that have seen it I have found will talk about one of two things, either how great it is, or how the ending really really lets it down. Both these comments are valid, yet a because they are mentioned it raises/lowers expectation. Both are shooting themselves in the foot. If you go see it, try to filter both out, go with neutral expectations and make your own decision.
Overall, overly hyped -- not as good or bad as the extreme reviews I've seen, but certainly worth a watch. Above average.