No Country for Old Men (2007)

 Worthy of Best Movie pick!
Great movie. Obviously being set-up for a sequel.
Good performances by all concerned.
Looking forward to round two. May 13, 2008

 Filling but left me unsatisfied. Kind of like eating a donut.
I like the Coen Brother's films. Especially "Fargo" and "Mudsucker Proxy" (I forgot the exact name but I'm too lazy to look it up), and "Raising Arizona". I really was happy when the Coens won the Director Oscar but I do feel it was really for their body of work as the real technical film masterpiece (I hate that word! But I use it) was "There Will Be Blood" but that was too artsy I guess for the Academy. I'm not saying this film isn't good. It is! But it is very overrated. I was so glad that many other reviewers were honest enough to give a less than ecstatic review praising the film for its "meaning". Honestly I found just as much meaning in this film as I did in looking at T.V. static after something happened to my cable some time back (my cable is fine now). The title of the film perfectly fit with the sheriff's character (which the plot should have centered more around) but by the time the movie really answers the question about the title the film just abruptly ends.

I thought I would include a little piece I wrote earlier because it said what I overall felt:
"I agree with El Lagarto. (Not about NCFOM being the Coens worst film but about the film losing the comedic element that made the Coens films unique). I loved how in Fargo (their best movie IMO and the one they should have won Best Director for) it went from violently tense to funny then back to tense in the same scene (like the kidnapping scene). And the use of the landscape I think was just perfect for the mood. But NCFOM seemed devoid of any of that balance. It focused just on the violent intensity. I agree also that it's a well-crafted movie but the characters were lacking."

On a positive note the acting was good especially from Tommy Lee Jones and the actress who played Josh Brolin's wife. Javier Bardem is a wonderful actor but the acclaim he got for this was really overdoing it. What about praising his roles where he actually played a human being? He should have been nominated and won for "The Sea Inside" but that's a whole different story.

I would recommend "No Country for Old Men" for one watch. I mean it did win Oscars (funny how that is sometimes more of a liabilty than a guarantee for film excellence) but I can't sing its praises as others have done. Oh it's definitely not for young people as that R rating was well deserved. Some may find the violence offensive and disturbing. May 12, 2008

 No Country for Old Men
As a lifelong Texas resident, I found that the use of actual Texans (you can't find actors like this--see the movie and you'll know what I mean) in many small roles added authenticity that is rare in Hollywood. The movie's graphic violence and creepy villain (Javier Bardem, who won the Oscar for this role) make the movie difficult to watch for some viewers. It is also typical of the Cohen Brothers (Fargo, Lone Star) in that it has quirky scenes and loose ends that end up distracting from the central plot, but if you enjoy powerful performances and unusual and colorful characters, this is a must-see. May 11, 2008

 i don't care what anyone thinks of this movie
this is simply the most stunning movie i've ever seen and that's saying a lot. i am not one to like gratuitous violence. however, the violence in this movie serves to show the lack of any compassion or sanity of the main "bad guy". i'm dumbfounded as to how masterful this movie is. it is a great movie full of intense suspense and a expert telling of a story among an "average" man, a very good and honest man, and a man with absolutely no humanity in him.

people who whine about the violence are sadly and scarily missing the vast amount of intelligence and thoughtfulness in this spectacular masterpiece. i thought the coens couldn't beat some of their past masterpieces, but this is fargo X 1000.

i have no more superlatives to give. i didn't expect to like this movie and thought it would be over-hyped tripe. it wasn't. let go of any closed-minded aversion to something that isn't all "perfume and roses" and watch a movie that will just change your outlook on movies. this is something special.

wow. May 11, 2008

 You stand to win everything....
First off, let me say that this is NOT my kind of movie. I'm more into zombies, slashers, and movies of the horror genre. My Husband is into the same genre as myself but once he saw bits of this movie on PPV he figured we'd enjoy it to some degree since it had guns, murder, and all that kind of stuff, HE WAS RIGHT! I'll also say, yes, it does have violence but it offers SO MUCH MORE. I REALLY enjoyed this film.

It takes you back to 1980, a MUCH simpler time, yet a time of enormous change. The entire movie was symbolic (to me.) There were many parts that IMO, showed the contrast of good and evil, and the times changing ever so much.

Bottom line, the movie was made well, no Hollywood bologna effects etc.. The acting was great, BRAVO! The plot was very entertaining/realistic and kept my attention 100%. The movie overall was fantastic. If you like explosives, crazy car chases, women with obvious breast implants, sex scenes aplenty, goofy acting, poor plot, and special effects to fill in the gap for the lack of a thought provocing scipt, then this movie is NOT for you. If you're looking for GREAT simple yet strong type of movie with a big message and awesome plot, you've found the right movie for you. May 10, 2008

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