can't believe no one responded to this.
anyone else seen it?
saw it last night at BAM and was totally blown away
definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year
pretty much as soon as the credits started rolling I wanted to see it again
It's by far the darkest and most violent (there's probably close to two dozen deaths) Coen brothers' film I've seen (that said, I haven't seen Blood Simple or Miller's Crossing) and although they definitely keep elements of their trademark dark humor, its really toned down a lot and replaced by excellently calculated suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire film (they know how to make you jump too)
it was weird though how the audience almost expected a comedy and so they would fall out of their seats laughing at jokes that really weren't that funny
kind of awkward, actually
maybe it's just because the Coen brothers haven't made a more serious film in such a long time (although from the previews for No Country, I don't know how you could expect comedy)
thematically it's very similar to Fargo, in that it posits a kind, gentle, small town law enforcement officer against a cold blooded killer that represents chaos, evil, and greed
speaking of which, Javier Bardem's character is nothing short of terrifying. he's a non-native speaker of English, and his attempt to supress his accent makes him sound awkward in a really creepy way.
Josh Brolin's character is fantastic as well - a great flawed antihero protagonist who the entire film is really only looking out for his own self interest, and who's driven by the same unstoppable greed that Bardem is, but who you can completely root for. he's smart, strong, self-sufficient, and doesn't want to be bothered with law enforcement, not matter how serious things get or how much trouble he's in. a real cowboy.
the character of the wife bothered me - she was completely passive and submissive to Brolin, and I found her portrayal a little bit misogynist. she didn't play too large a role though, and it doesn't really bring down the movie too much in my mind
Tommy Lee Jones' character though is the real focal point of the film, even though he doesn't get as much screen time as Bardem or Brolin. it's him that the movie's title refers to.
I also noticed a whole thematic exploration of the idea of otherness and the foreignness of evil. the whole story takes place in Texas along the Mexican border, and all the "bad guys" come from the other side of border. I could see how people might interpret that as racist, but I don't see it that way. it's more like the Coen's are presenting this idealized picture of old America, and having the violent crime that disrupts this come from a foreign place just serves to make it more foreign and strange than it already is to the characters
has anyone read the book? from what I hear, it's an extremely faithful adaptation
anyway, see this movie!
I think I might see it again over Thanksgiving break with my family, because I just can't get it out of my head |
