"NoCountryforOldMen"isforthekindoffilmfanwhoremarks,"Gee,wasn'tthatmurderaclevermise-en-scene?"andwhoasks,"Whatkindoflensdoyouthinktheyusedinthatstrangulationshot?"Theskeletonof"NoCountryforOldMen"isacheap,78-minute,gun-monster-chaseBmovie.JavierBardemplaysAntonChigurh,themonster.HeisFrankenstein;heisMaxCadyfrom"CapeFear;"heisfromyourchildhoodnightmares.Hemaybedeathpersonified.Oneofmanycompletelyimplausiblescenes:anarrestingofficer,defyinganylogic,turnshisbackonChigurh.Chigurh,displayingthesupplesinuosityofaCirqueduSoleilcontortionist,oranorangutan,slipsoutofhishandcuffs.Thisisdoneoutofcameraview,becauseforBardemitwouldbeimpossible;thusthescene'simplausibility.Chigurhthen,inrealtime,stranglestheyoungpoliceofficertodeathoncamera.Thisisanextendedsequence.Thisisthepayofffor"NoCountryforOldMen":watchingonehumanbeingkillotherhumanbeings,insceneaftersceneafterscene,usingvariousweapons,includingacaptiveboltpistolusuallyusedonlivestock.GuessChigurhcouldn'tgetholdofaTexaschainsaw.Thisisaslasherflickforthepretentious.Earlyon,therearewell-done,ifstandard,chasescenes.Amanoutrunsacar:notbelievable,butfuntowatch.Apitbullchasesthisfleeingmandownawhitewaterriver.Themanreloadshisgunattheverylastmoment(ofcourse)andshootsthepitbulldeadjustasitisabouttosinkitsteethintotheman.Later,inahotel,abeepingtransponderinformsthekillerwherehispreyhides.Yourpulsemayraceandyoumaythinkthatthisisallleadinguptosomethinginteresting.Youwillbedisappointed.TommyLeeJones,whoseearlobesappeartobemetastasizingasheages,wandersaimlesslythroughthefilmasSheriffEdTomBell,deliveringcornpone,homespun,cowboypoetruminationsthataremoreorlessopaqueinmeaning.Nodoubtthefilm'sfansareevennowfeverishlycompilingacompanionvolumethatdecodesBell'sdreamsandconveystheirdepth.WoodyHarrelson,latethebartenderoftheTVsitcom"Cheers,"showsupforacompletelypointlesshalf-hourrolethatyankstheviewerrightoutofthemovie."WhatisWoodyHarrelsondoinghere?"Someyearsback,someboredEnglishmajorsdecidedthatconventionalnarrativestructurewasnotintellectualenuf,anddecidedtoplaygameswithnarrative."NoCountryforOldMen"playsthesesortsofgames.Theviewerisinvitedtoinvesttimegettingtoknowcharacterswhoareeliminatedfromtheplotinwaysthatconveynomeaningandarenotmoving.Thenarrativeflowistruncatedandyetthemoviekeepsgoing;viewersaskthemselveswhythemovieiscontinuing--sometimesoutloud,eveninamovietheater--thisissupposedtobeadeep,intellectualexperience.Itisnot.Itismerelyannoying.OtherthanbrattyEnglishmajorheadgames,prettymuchtheentiresubstanceof"NoCountryforOldMen"isaseriesofmurdersandtorturescommittedbyChigurh,whomaysymbolizeyourhighschool'sworstbully–abullysoterrifyingexactlybecausehetargetedEnglishmajors.Hisvictimsareoftencourteous;theirlikabilitymakeswatchingthembehumiliatedandthenmurderedanuncomfortable,and,giventhefilm'sstructure,ultimatelypointlessexercise.NotonlyaretheCoenBrotherstorturingtheircharacters,theyalsotormenttheirticket-buyingaudiences.Chigurh'snicevictimsareoftenpoor,rural,Southern,whites,thekindofpeopleoftennotfeaturedaspositive,