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At its most basic level, "No Country For Old Men" is one of those absurd crime stories we read about in the papers come to life on the big screen. If one feels like looking a little deeper into the words that are spoken and the events that take place, one might find a true philosophical gem worth polishing.

"No Country For Old Men" scores a birdie.

The character of Anton Chigurh played by Javier Bardem is the most original aspect of the film and must be one of the most original characters we have seen in some time. Bardem has already won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor and is now the runaway favorite to win the Oscar.

Chigurh is a villain that will stand the test of time in the world of cinema; he will not be forgotten. He is described as having principles and, though he kills people without any sign of remorse, he is not thought of as a psychopath by his pursuer. "I got here the same way the coin did," says Chigurh at one point, implying his life as a killer is nothing more than random chance, or perhaps fate. That part can be left up to the viewer.

Tommy Lee Jones plays the wise, old police sheriff, Ed Tom Bell who is quick witted and seems to understand Chigurh better than anyone. Josh Brolin also turns in a fine performance as Llewelyn Moss, a retired welder and Viet Nam vet, who stumbles across a large sum of money in the middle of the Texas prairie lands and then is hunted down by Chigurh.

In one scene, Sheriff Bell is reading a newspaper story to one of his deputies. He tells his deputy of a horrible crime that goes beyond any reasonable persons imagination. At one point the deputy laughs. "That's ok, sometimes I laugh too," says Bell. "Sometimes that is all you can do."

There are times that all you can do is laugh at Chigurh's actions. His cold precision and intelligent maneuvers are done with such ease. He kills people the way a normal person would grab a carton of milk from off the grocery store shelf, yet somehow he does so with a real purpose.

This film has all the critics buzzing and saying it will win the best picture award at the Oscars. I can't honestly say it has the feel of a best picture winner. It lacks the whole package. It lacks real crowd-pleasing entertainment aspect of film making. Most average movie goers seem to think it is a bit boring, a bit disappointing. Of course, we all know that average movie goers don't vote on the Academy Awards.

Learn more about this author, Jeremy Peters.
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