Violent, dark, gripping and an off-humor tone that is like no other. `NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN' is indeed a Coen Brothers masterpiece!
The film is possibly the most ambitious film from the Award winning filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen ("Fargo", "The Big Lebowski", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Raising Arizona") based on the 2005 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy. "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won four which include "Best Achievement in Directing", "Best Motion Picture of the Year", "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" and "Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published".
"NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" makes its re-appearance on Blu-ray with a new audio track, five hours of bonus footage and a digital copy.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" is featured in 1080p High Definition with an aspect ratio of (2:35:1). One thing you will notice is how the colors of the rugged outdoors really pops. The earth tones and its vibrancy during the day, to the dark black and blues during the night. I saw no major artifacting or high grain during the low light conditions.
Also, when you see the characters in High Definition, you see the wrinkles, the pores...very detailed picture quality. Even the people who were shot and killed, good amount of detail in the bullet wounds and showcasing how much detail the crew went into making sure the these wounds look realistic. There is no denying that the picture quality for "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" is amazing and right up there with the top tier titles. The backgrounds of Southwest Texas, the multiple colors that showcase the vibrancy of the film, to the dark scenes that exhibit no problems and of course the overall details that you just never think of, are seen quite clearly on this title.
Director of Photography Roger Deakins ("A Beautiful Mind", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "The Big Lebowski", "Fargo", "The Shawshank Redemption") continues to be one of the top DP's in the industry and was definitey deserving of an Academy Award nomination for his awesome cinematography.
As for audio, this is where "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" takes a big step up to perfection. Buena Vista Home Entertainment made sure the new soundtrack for this second version release utilized an English 5.1 DTS-HD (48 kHz/24-bit) track over the PCM version. And boy, does it make a difference. If you thought the gun shots as the bullets hiss, the rifle shots, a dogs being shot, vehicles moving, those action scenes alone sound clearer and punchier than the previous PCM track. The dialogue is clear and there is just a sense of more clearer sound than the PCM track. Quite frankly, this is the best audio treatment of the film and the last one was magnificent but for this 2-Disc Collector's Edition, audio is excellent!
And again, the film was definitely deserving for its Academy Award nominations for its achievements in Sound and Sound Editing. The crew did a wonderful job!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This second version Blu-ray release of "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" is packed with special features. From December 2007 to February 2008, television, live, online and radio interviews are presented on disc. So, the hardcore filmmaker or the fans of the film definitely have plenty of content to watch and listen to. As mentioned earlier in the review, this 2-Disc Collector's Edition comes with a new audio track, a digital copy of the film and five hours of special features. Included are:
* The Making Of No Country For Old Men - (24:29) A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create a Coen Brothers' movie. Featuring interviews with the Coen Brothers, cast and crew. Included on the last Blu-ray but nevertheless, very informative and entertaining to watch. Also, how certain cast members were selected. Surprising especially when you find out that Kelly Macdonald (Carla Jean) is from Scotland and has a strong, thick accent but played the character of a girl with a Southern drawl quite well!
* Working with the Coens - (8:07) The cast and crew of No Country for Old Men talk about working with the legendary duo. It's great to hear the cast and crew talk about working with the brothers and talk about how they want a certain scene a certain way. Fun featurette that was included on the last Blu-ray.
* The Diary of A Country Sheriff - (6 min.) A look at the relationship between Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh and Josh Brolin's Llewelyn Moss through the eyes of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). A good explanation of how this proud Sheriff who is about to retire notices that he probably is in no league to take on the crimes of today and the types of killers out there. The days of being a sheriff with no weapons are a thing of the past.
* Josh Brolin Unauthorized - (9 min.) An interesting perspective of "behind-the-scenes" as Josh Brolin interviews certain cast members and the crew. A dramatic "behind-the-scenes" featuring the cast members with some sort of an edge. A very interesting featurette.
* Press Timeline - A treasure trove of in-depth interviews and conversations with the Coen Brothers, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem--never before available on disc--offering viewers the most comprehensive look ever at the making of No Country for Old Men. This is where the bulk of the special features are featured and what's so cool is that some of these are online interviews, live with audience interviews, radio interviews, etc.
1. Lunch with David Polan (10/25/07) - 26:21 interview with both Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem.
2. L.A. WGAW - (11/06/07) - 24:13 Q&A Panel featuring the Coen Brothers, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Kelly Macdonald.
3. Variety Q&A - (11/06/07) - 3:08 Feat. interviews hosted by Brian Lowry with Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Kelly Macdonald
4. ew.com - Just A Minute - (11/08/07) - 12:55 Feat. interview with Javier Bardem
5. Creative Screen Writing Magazine - (11/09/07) - 21:24 podcast interview with the Coen Brothers.
6. NPR's All Things Considered with Michelle Norris - (11/09/07) - 4:42 - Radio interview
7. ABC Popcorn with Peter Travers - (11/14/07) - 14:51 Interview with Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Kelly Macdonald
8. In-Store Appearance (11/20/07) - 40:30 Interviews with Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem
9. Charlie Rose (11/21/07) 22:33 interview with the Coen Brothers
10. WBC Reel Talk with Lyon & Bailes - (12/1/07) 10:00 - A fun interview with Josh Brolin
11. Channel 4 News - (12/16) - 3:45 Preview of the film and brief interviews
12. KCRW - The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell - (12/19) 28:29 Radio interview with the Coen Brothers
13. NPR's Day to Day (1/17) 6:35 Radio interview with Javier Bardem
14. Spike Jonze Q&A (1/27) 1:00:45 Live audience interview with Spike onze with the Coen Brothers, Director of Photography Roger Deakins, Sound Production and Design Production teams
15. NPR's All Things Considered (2/7) 7:44 Radio interview with Executive Producer Scott Rudin
16. NPR's Weekend Addition feat. Scott Simon (2/9) 5:32 Radio interview with the Coen Brothers
* Digital Copy Download
EASTER EGG: Not necessarily a major Easter Egg but on Press Time line, you can select the coin which has the words "Call It Friend O" and the coin will randomly pick an interview.
JUDGMENT CALL:
"NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" is definitely not a film for the weak hearted. The film has its many layers but I think that Javier Bardem's excellent portrayal of the psychopath Anton Chigurh is going to ruffle some feathers because of his overall look, his demeanor and his eyes of the thrill of a kill, you can't help but think how twisted this character is and for certain characters, who encounter Chigurh, you are at the edge of your seat as he wants to determine the fate if they live or die. It's twisted and his means of killing and the barrage of violence is not going to make the squeamish any happier.
This is possible the Coen Brothers darkest film. Granted "Fargo" was a dark film but "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" is well-written, well-acted, well-filmed...it's the Coen Brothers masterpiece extravaganza. Dark humor, violence galore but a well-told plot and characters that you want to watch.
For me, the violence was excessive but it was needed. It was very important to show Chigurh as this psychopath and the level of detail that went into showing those bloody scenes was well done by the crew.
As the Coen Brothers and Javier Bardem did a wonderful job, you also have to give the thumbs up to the other talent.
Josh Brolin being denied an Academy Award nomination was a bit of a shock. Where many people have not been fortunate to get away from Chigurh, the character of Llewelyn Moss was a constant challenge but you actually felt yourself rooting for Moss for a little while.
Tommy Lee Jones as Sheriff Bell was portrayed very well. A World War II Vet and proud Sheriff who is now having to deal with drug deals and mafia style killings, he's not prepared to take on these type of people. This is not the same country he lived in before, it's become dangerous and hence the title "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN".
I will have to say the shining star was Kelly MacDonald as Carla Jean. At first, you think that the woman is the token broad at the beginning of the film but her final scenes perhaps is a scene that has left many people wondering what happened to her character. It's because her character was able to do something that many of the other characters have not and thus, comes away being someone special.
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