No Country for Old Men (2007)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Directors:

Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writers (WGA):

Joel Coen (screenplay) &
Ethan Coen (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

There Are No Clean Getaways

Plot:

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande.

Plot Keywords:

Money | Killer | Murder | Sheriff | Desert

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 94 wins & 45 nominations

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
Javier Bardem	...	Anton Chigurh
Josh Brolin	...	Llewelyn Moss
Woody Harrelson	...	Carson Wells
Kelly Macdonald	...	Carla Jean Moss
Garret Dillahunt	...	Deputy Wendell
Tess Harper	...	Loretta Bell
Barry Corbin	...	Ellis
Stephen Root	...	Man who hires Wells
Rodger Boyce	...	Sheriff Roscoe Giddens
Beth Grant	...	Carla Jean's Mother
Ana Reeder	...	Poolside Woman
Kit Gwin	...	Sheriff Bell's Secretary
Zach Hopkins	...	Strangled Deputy
Chip Love	...	Man in Ford
Eduardo Antonio Garcia	...	'Agua' Man
Gene Jones	...	Gas Station Proprietor
Myk Watford	...	'Managerial' Victim #1
Boots Southerland	...	'Managerial' Victim #2
Kathy Lamkin	...	Desert Aire Manager
Johnnie Hector	...	Cabbie at Bus Station
Margaret Bowman	...	Del Rio Motel Clerk
Thomas Kopache	...	Boot Salesman
Jason Douglas	...	Cabbie at Motel
Doris Hargrave	...	Waitress
Rutherford Cravens	...	Gun Store Clerk
Matthew Posey	...	Sporting Goods Clerk
George Adelo	...	Mexican in Bathtub
Mathew Greer	...	Hitchhiking Driver
Trent Moore	...	Nervous Accountant
Marc Miles	...	Hotel Eagle Clerk
Luce Rains	...	Pickup Driver
Philip Bentham	...	Border Bridge Youth #1
Eric Reeves	...	Border Bridge Youth #2
Josh Meyer	...	Border Bridge Youth #3
Chris Warner	...	Flatbed Driver
Brandon Smith	...	INS Official
Roland Uribe	...	Well Dressed Mexican (as H. Roland Uribe)
Richard Jackson	...	Chicken Farmer
Josh Blaylock	...	Boy on Bike #1
Caleb Jones	...	Boy on Bike #2
Dorsey Ray	...	Odessa Cabbie
Angel H. Alvarado Jr.	...	Norteño Band
David A. Gomez	...	Norteño Band
Milton Hernandez	...	Norteño Band
John Mancha	...	Norteño Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Scott Flick	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Angelo Martinez	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Elizabeth Slagsvol	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writing credits (WGA)
Joel Coen		(screenplay) &
Ethan Coen		(screenplay)
Cormac McCarthy		(novel)

Produced by
Ethan Coen	....	producer
Joel Coen	....	producer
David Diliberto	....	associate producer
Robert Graf	....	executive producer
Mark Roybal	....	executive producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ethan Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)
Joel Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Jess Gonchor

Art Direction by
John P. Goldsmith

Set Decoration by
Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by
Mary Zophres

Makeup Department
Jean Ann Black	....	makeup department head (as Jean A. Black)
Debra Clair	....	additional hair stylist (as Debra R. Clair)
Brian Hillard	....	mold technician
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair department head
Geordie Sheffer	....	assistant hair stylist
Dave Snyder	....	makeup applicator
Sarah Spier	....	makeup assistant
Christien Tinsley	....	makeup department head
Christien Tinsley	....	special makeup effects artist
Teresa Valenzuela	....	wig maker
Corey Welk	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Ralph Bertelle	....	executive in charge of production
Karen Ruth Getchell	....	production supervisor
Robert Graf	....	unit production manager
Omar Veytia	....	production manager: Mexico

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bac DeLorme	....	second assistant director
Peter Dress	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Pete Dress)
Jery Hewitt	....	second unit director
Jai James	....	second second assistant director
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director
Donald Murphy	....	first assistant director: second unit
Taylor Phillips	....	second second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Chris Alvarez	....	welding foreman
J. Todd Anderson	....	visual consultant
Mark Bankins	....	set dresser
Pedro Barquin	....	stand-by greens
Marcia Calosio	....	assistant set decorator
John C. Cameron	....	assistant property master
John C. Cameron	....	property master: second unit
Dennis Collins	....	stand-by painter
Sage Emmett Connell	....	set dresser (as Sage Connell)
Chadney Everett	....	set decoration foreperson
James Fowler	....	set dresser
Bobbi Jo Gonzales	....	props
Peter Grendle	....	art department assistant
Paul Haag	....	set dresser
Paul Harman	....	sign painter
Gregory Hill	....	graphic designer (as Gregory L. Hill)
Deborah Jensen	....	assistant art director (as Deborah L. Jensen)
Caylen Johnson	....	welding gangboss
Jason Mack	....	set dresser
Roberta Marquez Seret	....	art department coordinator (as Roberta Marquez)
Quentin Matthys	....	set dresser
Randy Moffitt	....	propmaker
Cee Moravec	....	on-set dresser
Tony Perez	....	lead man
Scott Troha	....	leadperson
Benjamin M. Walsh	....	set dresser
Keith Walters	....	property master
Christopher Windisch	....	construction coordinator
Jeri Woodward	....	paint foreman
Randal Woodward	....	lead scenic
Chris Windish	....	laborer/greensman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Craig Berkey	....	sound designer
Craig Berkey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Joel Dougherty	....	assistant sound editor
Cole Gittinger	....	cable person
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Eric Harwood	....	sound re-recordist
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Randall L. Johnson	....	boom operator (as Randy Johnson)
Jeff Knudsen	....	sound mixer: second unit
Peter F. Kurland	....	sound mixer (as Peter Kurland)
Skip Lievsay	....	sound re-recording mixer
Skip Lievsay	....	supervising sound editor
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Pippert	....	foley recordist
Derek Vanderhorst	....	foley editor
Byron Wilson	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Peter Chesney Jr.	....	special effects foreman
Peter Chesney	....	special effects coordinator
Tom Chesney	....	special effects technician
Val Crawford	....	hair/fur department
Paul Deely	....	special effects
Jason Hamer	....	special effects coordinator
Caylen Johnson	....	special effects technician
Emmet Kane	....	special effects technician
Sandra Stewart	....	special effects technician
Russell Tamillo	....	special effects first assistant
Diane Woodhouse	....	special effects shop coordinator
Mark Ballou	....	fabricator: Tinsley Transfers Inc. (uncredited)
Megan Flagg	....	special makeup effects artist: Tinsley Transfers (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robert Adams	....	digital compositor
Alexandre Cancado	....	visual effects
Vincent Cirelli	....	visual effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
Daniel Craemer	....	digital artist
Michael Dillon	....	digital intermediate assistant producer
Chad Dombrova	....	lead technical director: Luma Pictures
David V. Fedele	....	visual effects: Luma Pictures
Cameron Gray	....	animation supervisor: Luma Pictures
H Haden Hammond	....	sequence supervisor: Luma Pictures
John R. Hazzard	....	character animator: Luma Pictures
David Hochstadter	....	digital artist: Luma Pictures
Cajun Hylton	....	digital artist: Luma Pictures
Justin Johnson	....	digital effects supervisor
Wendy Klein	....	visual effects: Luma Pictures
Jason Locke	....	matchmover
Valy Lungoccia	....	visual effects
Glenn Morris	....	visual effects producer
Ashok Nayar	....	visual effects coordinator: Luma Pictures
Ben Neall	....	texture artist: Luma Pictures
Ian Noe	....	visual effects producer
Pavel Pranevsky	....	digital artist: Luma Pictures
Pimentel A. Raphael	....	lead animator
Burke Roane	....	lead animator: Luma Pictures
Charles Scott IV	....	digital compositor
Gabe Shedd	....	visual effects staff
Payam Shohadai	....	executive visual effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
Joey Sila	....	digital effects artist: Luma Pictures
Jared Simeth	....	digital compositor: Luma Pictures
Thanapoom Siripopungul	....	visual effects artist: Luma Pictures
Steven Swanson	....	visual effects supervising producer: Luma Pictures
Jason Yanofsky	....	senior lighting/compositing
Thomas Mathai	....	data manager (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Christopher Lee Bailey	....	stunts
Ben Bray	....	stunts
Tim Buchanan	....	stunts
Laurence Chavez	....	stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunts (as Eddie Fernandez)
Lakshman Nathaniel Garin	....	stunts (as Lakshman Garin)
Jim Henry	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Toby Holguin	....	stunts
Brett A. Myrick	....	stunts (as Brett Myrick)
Mark Norby	....	stuntperson: Josh Brolin
Steve Rizzo	....	stunts
Tom Roach	....	stunts
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts (as Tommy Rosales)
Ramsey Scott	....	stunts
Jose L. Vasquez	....	stunts (as Jose Vasquez)
Laurence Vasquez	....	stunts
Jim Henry	....	stunt double: Chip Love (uncredited)
Steve Rizzo	....	stunt double: Zach Hopkins (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Abeyta	....	rigging electrician
Darrick Akey	....	assistant camera
Ron Alexus	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Joe Bacharka	....	electrician
Liza Bambenek	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (as Liza 'Wintapants' Bambenek)
Thomas Bango	....	first assistant camera
Roger Basquette	....	digital video assist operator
Paul Birk	....	assistant chief lighting technician: second unit
Josh Blakeslee	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bryan Booth	....	rigging electric best boy
Paul Candrilli	....	best boy grip
Chris Carroll	....	camera production assistant
Elizabeth Cash	....	camera production assistant
Dave Childers	....	key grip: second unit
Roger Deakins	....	camera operator
Paul Elliott	....	director of photography: second unit
Kevin Fahey	....	rigging grip best boy
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Charley Gilleran	....	rigging key grip
George Greene	....	electrician
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Andy Harris	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Hank Herrera	....	rigging grip
Trevor Howe	....	grip
Gary Kangrga	....	celebrity rigging grip
Scott Kidner	....	chief lighting technician: second unit
Nikki LeBlanc	....	rigging electrician
Mitchell Andrew Lillian	....	key grip
Jeff Lomaglio	....	grip
Damon Marcellino	....	assistant chief lighting technician: re-shoots
Rick Marroquin	....	dolly grip
Jesse Mather	....	lighting technician
Glenn E. Moran	....	rigging electric
David Jaxx Nagro	....	grip
Chris Napolitano	....	gaffer
Ray Ortega	....	rigging electrician
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	camera operator: second unit
Donis Rhoden	....	key grip: Mexico
Val Schubert	....	grip
Michael J. Schwartz	....	electrician
Mark Steinig	....	rigging grip
Lisbeth Storandt	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Stephen Thorp	....	rigging electrician
Jim Threadgill	....	rigging grip
Greg Travis	....	rigging electrician
Alan Trever	....	rigging grip
Alexis van Kersen Li	....	film loader
Peter Weidenfeller	....	grip
Don Hayashi	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jo Edna Boldin	....	location casting
Elizabeth Gabel	....	background casting
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Katy Houska	....	background casting assistant
Tracy Kilpatrick	....	additional casting
Marie A. Kohl	....	casting assistant: New Mexico
Amelia Rasche	....	casting associate: New York
Kathryn Schuetze	....	casting assistant: New Mexico (as Kathryn 'Kit' Schuetze)
Rachel Tenner	....	casting associate: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aleah Ames	....	key costumer
Lori DeLapp	....	costume supervisor
Jenny Eagan	....	assistant costume designer
Emily Egge	....	set costumer
Delia Hauser	....	costumer
Christine Hawes	....	costumer
Nikki Kelly	....	wardrobe production assistant
Claire Sandrin	....	key set costumer
Mary Beth Sterling	....	costume production assistant: Los Angeles
Stephani Lewis	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Kenny Becker	....	color timer
Buster Jacob Coen	....	post-production assistant
Catherine Farrell	....	post-production coordinator
Michael Hatzer	....	supervising digital colorist: Efilm (as Mike Hatzer)
Michael Kennedy	....	digital intermediate producer (as Mike Kennedy)
Catie Laffoon	....	post-production assistant
Marc Lulkin	....	digital color assist
Katharine McQuerrey	....	assistant editor
Neil A. Stelzner	....	associate editor
Tom Reiser	....	colorist assist: Efilm (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Farrow	....	score mixer
Gordon Gottlieb	....	musician
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
John Palatucci	....	musician
Sandra Park	....	conductor
Chris Robertson	....	music clearance
David Torn	....	musician

Transportation Department
Lyle Christensen	....	shotmaker driver
John Christopher Hicks	....	driver
Scott Howard	....	transportation
Jack Prince	....	driver
Paul Ripple	....	transportation dispatcher
Timothy P. Ryan	....	transportation coordinator
Faith Strongheart	....	driver: cast
Jeff J. Williams	....	driver: vip

Other crew
Andrew P. Aguilar	....	additional set production assistant
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager: additional photography
William Arute	....	stand-in: Josh Brolin
Sage Asteak	....	production assistant
David E. Augustson	....	set armorer
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Mark Brooks	....	animal trainer
Doug Burch	....	adr voice
Jeremy Burnell	....	stand-in: Javier Bardem
Val Callaway	....	production assistant
Maritza Carbajal	....	set production assistant
Chris Carroll	....	intern
Elizabeth Cash	....	production assistant
Michael Chochol	....	production assistant
Stephen Clarke	....	production assistant
Andrea Coles	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Paul Conti	....	video playback engineer
J. John Corbett	....	title designer
Rob Corlew	....	assistant production coordinator
Michael Dellheim	....	location manager
Roman Diaz	....	production assistant
Roberto Donati	....	adr voice
Melinda Eichberg	....	animal trainer: cat
Carrie Fleming	....	assistant: Mr. Bardem
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant
Robbie Friedmann	....	location manager: Texas
Rachael Lin Gallaghan	....	production coordinator
Peter Grendle	....	production assistant
Henry Herman	....	stand-in: Rodger Boyce
Heather Holty	....	digital laboratory project manager
Drew P. Houpt	....	the one right tool (as Drew Houpt)
Sterling Howard	....	stand-in: Javier Bardem
Amy Israel	....	production executive
Thomas Johnston	....	script supervisor
Nathan Kelly	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Ernie Klein	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Jesse Kobayashi	....	digital laboratory project manager
Cheryl Kurk	....	production accountant
Catie Laffoon	....	production assistant
Louis A. Lanni	....	set production assistant
Brian G. Lax	....	set medic
Jennifer Mancuso	....	production secretary
Mimi N. McGreal	....	travel coordinator
Mamie Mitchell	....	script supervisor: second unit
Marcus Montano	....	location scout
Patricia Mary Murphy	....	serious matters (as Patricia Mary Murphy, Esq.)
Laura O'Keefe	....	additional set production assistant
Wesley Oliver	....	assistant: Mr. Jones (as Wes Oliver)
Jason Owen	....	wrangler
Gabriel Pérez	....	production coordinator
James P. Queen	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Kristen Rakes	....	assistant: Mr. Brolin
Jeremy Reisig	....	set production assistant
Mark Rothman	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Howard Samuelsohn	....	dialect coach: Mr. Bardem
Dee Schuka	....	post-production accountant
Philip Seeger	....	set production assistant
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Sue Smith	....	assistant production coordinator: Marfa, TX
Todd Spears	....	payroll accountant
Louise Spencer	....	publicist
Rebecca Puck Stair	....	assistant location manager
Brett Tyne	....	dialect coach: Ms. Macdonald
Dr. Caesar Ursic	....	medical consultant
Steve White	....	assistant location manager
Jeff 'Big Daddy' Williams	....	security: Mr. Jones
Melissa Wiseman	....	key second assistant accountant
Karen Yokomizo	....	first assistant accountant
Travis Quentin Young	....	adr voice
Joe Freeman	....	gunsmith (uncredited)
Matthew Honovic	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Lisa Kurk-Dmytryk	....	second assistant accountant (uncredited)
Carlos A. Montoya	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Noel Davis Poyner	....	publicity intern (uncredited)
John H. Price	....	on-set interviews (uncredited)
Rodney Smith	....	stand-in: Agua Man (uncredited)

Thanks
Jason Willaford	....	thanks
Ree Willaford	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Vantage
• Miramax Films
• Scott Rudin Productions
• Mike Zoss Productions

Distributors

• Miramax Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Vantage (2007) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Alliance Films (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2008) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Paramount Japan (2008) (Japan) (theatrical) (as Paramount Pictures Japan)
• Paramount Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Showgate (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2008) (Canada) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Luma Pictures (visual effects by)
• PlethoraFX (opticals)
• Tinsley Transfers (special make-up effects)

Other Companies

• Bender ET  GFCI shock protection provided by
• Big Film Design  titles
• Body Studio  mixing
• Clinton Recording Studios  recorded at
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Illumination Dynamics  lighting equipment
• Kallista Marketing & PR  international publicity
• Musco Light Inc.  musco lights
• No Stone Unturned Security & Investigative Services  set security (as Angels Security)
• Otto Nemenz International  cameras
• PES Payroll  extras payroll services
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Satellite 9  post-production facility
• Serious Grippage & Light  
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Sony Pictures Studios  re-recorded at
• Star Waggons  cast trailers
• Star Waggons  make-up trailer
• Star Waggons  production trailers
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Widget Post Production  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/18 | Brazil:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:K-15 | USA:R (certificate #43473) | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Israel:16 | Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | Taiwan:R-18 | Spain:18 | South Africa:16 (16V) | Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:18PL | Argentina:16 | Austria:16

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Paramount Vantage

Trivia:

In the novel (but not in the movie), Sheriff Bell says of the dope-dealers, "Here a while back in San Antonio they shot and killed a federal judge." McCarthy set the story in 1980. In 1979, in San Antonio, Federal Judge John Howland Wood was shot and killed by rifle fire by a Texas free-lance contract killer named Charles Harrelson. Actor Woody Harrelson (Carson Wells in the movie) is his son.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The gray/blue Dodge 4x4 at the shoot-out is at least an 1982 (tail light design was changed in '82), and more likely an 83 or 84. Also the wheels on that truck weren't introduced until the mid 80s.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ed Tom Bell: I was sheriff of this county when I was twenty-five years old. Hard to believe. My grandfather was a lawman; father too. Me and him was sheriffs at the same time; him up in Plano and me out here. I think he's pretty proud of that. I know I was. Some of the old time sheriffs never even wore a gun...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-06-02)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Blood Trails

You need to call it. I can't call it for you. It wouldn't be fair.

No Country for Old Men is as exceptional a mix of two creative talents- the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen, and author Cormac McCarthy (recent winner of the Pulitzer for The Road, his own masterpiece) as one could imagine, as they converge on a story that in lessor hands would be just a B movie. The story concerns an average Joe out hunting one day in Texas who comes across a bunch of dead bodies, heroin, and a satchel with 2 million in cash. He takes it, but without knowing that a true embodiment of a psychopath (Javier Bardem) is on his trail, and as he evades him it becomes more and more clear the fatalism that lies in store, as a weathered sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) is also on the trail with perpetulally sad eyes looking on from his stolid demeanor.

More than this, it's also about as good a morality play as one could ask for, because it plays and tools and makes very serious questions about what is moral, or what isn't, or what is so ambiguous that it's all up to the toss of a coin or a chance ride out of town. There are a few interpretations to Bardem's character Anton that could be taken, but one thing is certain- he's less a symbol than a real presence, a "ghost" as Jones's sheriff calls him that can come around at the drop of a pin, usually in the dark, and strike the utmost fear (or confusion if you're a clerk) in the hearts of men and women. You'll never look at a coin toss the same way again. Or an air-gun. Or fixing a bullet wound in a leg. Or a hunt at a motel. Or even the aftermath of a car crash.

But at the same time it's the purest time of cinema, recalling Hitchcock and Leone and Welles's Touch of Evil and the best of noir and westerns. There are so many exceptional shots and lighting, so much depth to the perception of the characters through the mis-en-scene, so much tension, that through this it's all up to the actors to make or break the near-perfection that is the McCarthy source. Bardem embodies Anton like no other could- you can't look at his eyes, often steel-cold and horrifically professional (to what professional who can say), which occasional tear- and it's obviously worthy of an Oscar. And Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are also fantastic; we see Brolin often in the midst of an action scene, a moment of 'save-your-life' going on, and one can finally see an actor of his caliber completely breaking out in a role that doesn't require him to ever totally "emote". Jones, on the other hand, gives a compassionate turn in a film that's about the struggles of desperate men in a land without law and order. He's gone through so much that it comes out completely in his voice and eyes, sorrowful but holding back, and he reaches a level of connection with the character that makes the Fugitive look like simpleton TV. Kelly McDonald, who plays Lleland's wife, is also excellent when called upon, especially in a crucial scene later in the film.

It's gut-wrenching, bleak, violent, super-tense (I clenched many a knuckle during some scenes), surprisingly funny in a darkly comic manner not seen by the Coens in many years, and artistically fashioned to a beat that is meditative (watch the opening moments with Jones's voice-over), simple, and doomed. It's beautiful and terribly tragic, for McCarthy fans it finally strikes at what is truest to his material- even if you haven't read the book itself the Road will give an indication of the mood and atmosphere at hand- and at the moment I can't think of any other film that would be the best pick of the year- maybe one of the best films I've ever seen.