No Country For Old Men (film) - Reception

Reception

"This is frighteningly intelligent and imaginative."

—Critic Geoff Andrew of Time Out London

"For formalists—those moviegoers sent into raptures by tight editing, nimble camera work and faultless sound design—it's pure heaven."

—Critic A. O. Scott of The New York Times

As of July, 2012, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes had cataloged 95% positive critical responses from the 226 tabulated (only 12 negative). Upon release, the film was widely discussed as a possible candidate for several Oscars, before going on to receive eight nominations, and eventually winning four Academy Awards in 2008. Javier Bardem, in particular, has received considerable praise for his performance in the film.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "the best of the career so far. Rob Mackie of The Guardian also said that "what makes this such a stand-out is hard to put your finger on – it just feels like an absorbing and tense two hours where everyone is absolutely on top of their job and a comfortable fit in their roles." Geoff Andrew of Time Out London expressed that "the film exerts a grip from start to end. Richard Corliss of Time magazine chose the film as the best of the year and said that "after two decades of being brilliant on the movie margins, the Coens are ready for their closeup, and maybe their Oscar".

Paul Arendt of the BBC gave the film a full mark and said that it "doesn't require a defense: it is a magnificent return to form".

A. O. Scott of The New York Times stated that "for formalists –those moviegoers sent into raptures by tight editing, nimble camera work and faultless sound design– it's pure heaven." Movie Room Reviews gave the film 4 stars and said "this filmexplores the depths of the human psyche".

Occasional disapproval was voiced, where some critics note the absence of a "central character" and "climactic scene", its "disappointing finish" and "dependen on an arbitrarily manipulated plot", and a general lack of "soul" and sense of "hopelessness".