By Daniel Fozzati

No Country for Old Men

The words “Hello, friend-o” are usually spoken in a kind, maybe even cheerful tone to an acquaintance. And the stakes in a normal coin toss are rarely much more than a way to establish who gets the last slice of pizza.

But in the world of “No Country for Old Men,” flipping a coin with your thumb is likely to be followed by a silenced shotgun being aligned to your head and an index finger pulling the trigger.

This film is an extraordinary, jaw-dropping masterpiece that presents something that hasn’t made it to theatres in a long time. A perfect balance between complete “that’s awesome” action and genuine, albeit weird, thematic significance.

Anton Chigur (Javier Bardem) is, in simplest terms, a hitman. He is sent by his employers to retrieve $2 million in cash from a drug deal gone awry. Lewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the $2 million and decides to do whatever he can to keep it, which results in a surreal yet wonderfully simple chase.

After three viewings and some solid thought, I am convinced that the films’ primary theme is exactly what its title is: An alternative approach to what Bob Dylan professed in the ’60s folk anthem “The Times They Are a-Changin'” in a post-Vietnam era. Like Dylan’s song, the movie suggests that the United States is becoming “No Country for Old Men.”

Despite its simplicity and significance, directors Ethan and Joel Coen maintain this message as a subtle underlying theme so as not to distract from the overwhelming action in the rest of the movie.

Atonement

“Atonement” leaves the grand fight scenes to the side and takes its time investing the viewer in an innocent attraction between two simple characters who remind us about the beauty that exists in intimate levels of relationships.

Robbie Tuner (James McAvoy) and Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) are partaking in an excusably clich’eacute;d affair between the stable boy and the lady of the manor. An incriminating event happens involving Cecilia’s sister, Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), and as a result, Robbie is taken away and given the option to go to prison or to fight in World War II.

This is unequivocally Knightley’s best performance to date. Though relatively minor in the film, she makes her mark every time she’s on screen. The only disappointment here is that of the star role, played by Ronan. She is a conniving teenager who makes a grave and life-changing decision that haunts her forever.

But despite how interesting and important that may sound, she is nothing less than annoying and frustrating to watch as she tries to be sincere and dramatic. It’s as if she knows her role is supposed to be dramatic and heavy so she decides to add an extra layer of teary eyes to make sure she has her bases covered. All in all, she ends up looking like she came out of the Soap Channel and constantly needs a tissue.