The University of Idaho Argonaut

At this point, there isn’t much left to say about “No Country for Old Men.”
The film by Joel and Ethan Coen has gone from “most anticipated” to “Oscar favorite.” Not bad for being based on a novel pegged as “unfilmable.”
It’s waste to rehash the thousands of reviews that have come and gone. Instead, here are a few viewing tips:

Don’t be late. If you think you might miss the first 10 minutes, stay home. The opening is crucial to the characterization of the three men involved.

Get the large soda. Your mouth will dry up and while you might think you need something a bit harder than a Coke to calm you down, that will have to wait. Don’t drink the whole thing at once, though. You don’t want to have to get up to use the restroom.

Don’t fall in love with Llewelyn Moss. This is the best role Josh Brolin has ever had. Watching his performance makes that obvious.
He knows things won’t turn out well for him, but tries to escape fate as much as he can. Let me say that again: He knows things won’t turn out well for him. This is the only thing that is clear from the beginning.

Be prepared for violence. If you can’t sit through an episode of CSI without getting queasy, this is not the movie for you. Unless you like that nauseous feeling.

Don’t anticipate anything. Other than the previous comments about Moss and violence, everything in this film will catch you off guard. That’s just how it is. Don’t assume you know who will live and who will die. Forget what you know about good versus evil. “No Country” doesn’t operate on the same plane of existence as any other movie. Any other American movie, anyway.

Don’t expect to leave the film with your head on straight. Without giving too much away, the ending is confusing but the Coens stayed true to their source material. This is the only ending that works. This is the only ending that is not a Hollywood sell out. That’s all you need to know.

Read the book. In fact, read it before you see the movie. That should be a law.