[psmith2.0]

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem
Directed by: Ethan and Joel Coen
Rated: R (violence, adult situations, some language)
Trailer: Click here!

A grim, quiet little tale from my favorite moviemakers. I won't go into heavy details/explanations regarding plot, as you can easily find that out from the trailer above or IMDB. I'll just give my overall impression, and what I liked about it.

I enjoyed it, but it leaves you with some questions. It doesn't wrap up as neatly and cleanly as we're accustomed to, I suppose. But that's okay! Definitely a "go with someone - or a group - and discuss it afterwards" type of flick. Unfortunately, I went alone and was dying to talk to someone afterwards about it all.



As usual, Tommy Lee Jones plays this plain-spoken, world-weary role quite well. He does that thing he does very well, like Robert Duvall.

A lot has been written about Javier Bardem's ruthless character, and deservedly so. Yikes! You'll never quite look at compressed air the same way again...



$5 says he gets some sort of recognition for it when that time of year rolls around. Maybe not a full-on Academy Award, but something. Very captivating. When he's on the screen, you're transfixed (but dreading what he's probably going to do).

It's a quiet - literally - movie: there is no music, soundtrack/background or otherwise! Took me about 20 minutes into it to realize that..."hey, there's no music here at all". You hear every boot shuffle in the dirt, every door creak or gun cocking. Just adds to the lonely, desolate tone of it, and doesn't give any sort of cue to the tension or violence to come. It's a "small" movie, with no big gestures or drawn-out scenes...even the bits of violence are brief and quiet, and quite matter-of-fact in an odd way.

It reminded me a lot of "Tender Mercies" in general tone (not the violence stuff, of course) and wide-open Texas setting . But just the natural-sounding dialogue and the little turns-of-phrase people use that doesn't sound like typical "movie script talking". Very natural and grounded to me, and I always like movies like that.

It's the Coen brothers, so, in two hours, you get great dialogue and cinematography, some genuine tension and dread, sadness, humor, betrayal and all the rest.

Something different and captivating, and makes you think, cringe and laugh...often within seconds of one another: 9-out-of-10 stars

************

The nitty-gritty (spoiler summary):

The "bad guy" basically gets away, after damn near killing everyone it seems, and Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff retires from law enforcement, spending time with his wife and their horses.

[Banana]

Feedbacks for Admins:

Give Paul his own forum for movie rating and make him Official AN Entertainment pundit, the only one with substance, please!

Paul, thanks for the review- I may take a look at this as I usually like this kind of movie- ones with suspense ending and make you think.

[psmith2.0]

Aww, thanks. But here in 'Outsider is fine. I don't see as many flicks as I would like (or that I used to), so it's own forum would go untouched for weeks and months, I'm afraid.



It's better that I just stick them here where everyone can see them, and choose whether or not to read.

But thanks for the "push" and kind words.

[thegelding]

yeah, a very good and must go movie...i just got off the phone with my mom, we talked for 20 minutes about the movie...

i really can't talk here without way too many spoilers...i will say that if you like neat, clean endings that wrap everything up, you won't like the ending

g

[psmith2.0]

gelding is right...so much you can't talk about, without it becoming a "spoiler review/recap". The way situations and characters thread into each other, if you say too much and get into specifics...eeek!



Just go by the trailer above, and the plot synopsis/overview at IMDB, and you'll know if it's something you're into or not.

[SKMDC]

it sounds and looks like the Coen's first movie "Blood Simple" which was easily the best directorial debut in my mind.

Their next one is already done shooting (Burn After Reading) with Pitt & Clooney, it should be good, it's a CIA movie, but a comedy, so I've heard.
What a great collection of films they've amassed.

[World Leader Pretend]

I just saw it, and I must say it leaves you to think things out for a long time after. I wanted to talk about it with people at my school but not a lot of people had seen it. I thought it was really cool (I haven't seen any other Cohen Brothers Film) but I was really into the cinematography and the complete lack of music.

It was stark and gripping, and really made you re-think a lot of movie-making techniques. Very raw, violent, but disturbingly calm. The killer was 100% psycho! Who kills people with a cattle gun? The scenes where he would flip a coin were especially tense, because you never really knew what the guy would do.

I thought it spoke to the fact that you sometimes just can't win. Sometimes revenge and bravado and gun-slinging have no place.

Ending spoiler!

After all, the movie ended when everyone was either dead or retired, and the villain stopped killing right after he had what he wanted. It was also extremely creepy how he "kept his word" and killed the guy's wife even after the guy died. I thought that the car crash scene at the end would be a lesson in not being able to calculate everything -and maybe it was- but the guy still just walked off. Then the movie ended abruptly (but logically)

So what did everyone else get out of it? I am interested in what the actual message was.

[thegelding]

best movie of this year so far


i will use spoiler tags later and talk to you more about it

drinking too much right now

g

[LudwigVan]

I just came back from seeing it, and I agree that it's an awesome piece of work--very poetic in its own (violent/ironic/fatalistic) way.

I also noticed the lack of a music soundtrack, which enhanced the unsettling atmosphere of the film, IMO.

[psmith2.0]

http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=27097



Perhaps a mod could roll the two together?

[Wrao]

I did not know this was a movie. I have been recommended to read the book by 3 friends though.

[World Leader Pretend]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=27097 Perhaps a mod could roll the two together?

I even did a search before posting!!

[Chinney]

With due respect to those of you here who thought differently, I found this movie to be a big disappointment. I am a Coen Bros. fan, but really, really disliked this one. Pointless repetitive violence becomes dull very quickly. I suppose that it was all meant to be deeply symbolic of something - the inevitability of death, I suppose - but I just didn't care about any of the characters, and I felt the film ultimately didn't either. I almost walked out halfway through, because I had no interest in how it would all turn out. It's no Blood Simple, and certainly no Fargo. Those had style and heart (in varying proportions). This had neither. The only thing I enjoyed about it were the shots of the Texas desert, an area of my first memories as a child. Too bad they were attached to the rest of the movie.

My wife hated it too.

[Moogs]

Interesting. I was about to see it but reading Chin's commentary I might wait for it to come out on HBO. I am a huge Fargo fan but this sounds like they did some experimenting and went in a dramatically different direction. I don't get into morbid movies really. Serious I don't mind at all (hell I like Syriana) but constantly morbid flicks make me feel like I wasted my money because it's hard to enjoy a movie like that. Sort of like Schindler's List. That's about as serious as it gets, and depressing, and all teh rest... and I don't mind renting a movie like that, but when I pay $30 for my wife and I to see a movie I don't want to leave ready to slit my wrists.

[Chinney]

On the other hand Moogs, a lot of other people, whose opinions I respect, did like it. Maybe my wife and I just weren’t in the mood.

Those people who did like it saw a grim beauty in the story and its filming in that setting. I can understand that, although I did not feel it when watching it. It just felt grim to me. (Mind you, as I said earlier, taken apart from the movie, some of those shots of the Texas landscape were quite beautiful).

Also, I have a low tolerance of violence and gore on the screen. I can accept it when it is done in service of the larger interests of the story. Here, however, the very point of the movie appeared to be relentless violent death. I suppose there is something in that, because violent death is, unfortunately, part of the human experience. But as a movie, it just didn’t reach me.

I was also put off because it seemed to be missing any significant touches of humour and gentleness, which are found in even the grimmest of Coen brother movies. It is a new departure for them, I think, but not one I welcome.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by Chinney I was also put off because it seemed to be missing any significant touches of humour and gentleness, which are found in even the grimmest of Coen brother movies. It is a new departure for them, I think, but not one I welcome.

This part seals the deal for me. Some type of balance has to be struck in even the most serious of movies. Even Blood Diamond, though certainly more commercial in some respects, is a very serious, sometimes depressing movie that has a bit of humor or sidebar here or there without it distracting. Saving Private Ryan... without the few humorous moments, would've lost something very important. That's what made Fargo so brilliant. The comedy didn't interfere with the tragic parts and vice-versa.

I'll definitely see it; I'm just not going to pay $30 (or even $15 at the matinee) to do so.

[ironlung]

$30! The most I have paid is $8. Being a student has its perks I guess

[Moogs]

Welcome to my world, brother. Remember though I'm talking about 2 tickets. So that's $19 for tickets, and anywhere from $6-12 for concessions, depending on what we get. Great arguments can now be made for a) ignoring the "don't bring your own snacks" rule and b) "don't peak into that other theatre for the last 30 minutes of this other movie."

The more stuff you sneak in (just don't leave it on the floor), the better.

Chicago and New York tend to have the worst movie prices as I recall though I'm sure it's getting bad everywhere now.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by Chinney With due respect to those of you here who thought differently, I found this movie to be a big disappointment. I am a Coen Bros. fan, but really, really disliked this one. Pointless repetitive violence becomes dull very quickly. I suppose that it was all meant to be deeply symbolic of something - the inevitability of death, I suppose - but I just didn't care about any of the characters, and I felt the film ultimately didn't either. I almost walked out halfway through, because I had no interest in how it would all turn out. It's no Blood Simple, and certainly no Fargo. Those had style and heart (in varying proportions). This had neither. The only thing I enjoyed about it were the shots of the Texas desert, an area of my first memories as a child. Too bad they were attached to the rest of the movie. My wife hated it too.

A few month late, but I just saw this and I somewhat agree with Chinney. I don't perhaps hate it as much, but to me, it was rather predictable, right down to the return at the end to see the wife. Tommy Lee Jones was your typical smart mouthed sheriff with that young sidekick. Didn't really care for Woody Harrelson and wondered why his character even was needed.

That said, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and the wife, Kelly McDonald were superb.
And as much I didn't love it like I do most Coen movies, my prediction is a best picture win this year.
If only because the Oscars feel it's time to give the Coen Brothers their time in the limelight. For their body of work if you will.

[nikopolidis]

I have failed to watch this very promising and already praised movie as it almost out of the cinema in my city, Moscow... But there are couple of cinemas still showing it and I should hurry up to watch it. But if I fail I can always buy DVD however! By the way, did this film get any awards already?

[faust]

Originally Posted by Moogs Welcome to my world, brother. Remember though I'm talking about 2 tickets. So that's $19 for tickets, and anywhere from $6-12 for concessions, depending on what we get. Great arguments can now be made for a) ignoring the "don't bring your own snacks" rule and b) "don't peak into that other theatre for the last 30 minutes of this other movie." The more stuff you sneak in (just don't leave it on the floor), the better. Chicago and New York tend to have the worst movie prices as I recall though I'm sure it's getting bad everywhere now.

Do you have a Costco near you? Last time I looked (dec) they were selling 2 tickets for $14 and the tickets never expire.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by nikopolidis I have failed to watch this very promising and already praised movie as it almost out of the cinema in my city, Moscow... But there are couple of cinemas still showing it and I should hurry up to watch it. But if I fail I can always buy DVD however! By the way, did this film get any awards already?

Oh, a few...

[turtle]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Oh, a few...

Now that's a fairly impressive list!

[psmith2.0]

I know! That thing's tearing it up, huh? Nominated for everything, and winning most...

It's a good movie, but I didn't expect it to be this well-received and honored.

People will be keeping their eyes out for the Coen's next project in a big way, I think.

Hollywood being what it is (copy hounds and "let's take something popular/successful and beat it into the ground and milk it for all we can!" mentality), I think we can expect to see a run on quiet, sprawling, slightly disturbing and oddball flicks coming out in the next year or two, looking to capitalize on the buzz and success of "No Country...".

Ask Quentin Tarantino about that...in the years following "Pulp Fiction", how many (mostly bad) flicks came out that featured overlapping, multiple story lines, retro/cool music, fast-talking leads expounding on mundane pop culture tidbits and references, quirky violence and gunplay, various "past their prime"/has-been types in leading roles, goofy ensemble casts of people you'd never expect to see in a movie together, clever editing/time framing tricks, excessively crude dialogue and language, etc.

Dozens, that's how many. And, unfortunately, I saw a good number of 'em...

[turtle]

No doubt about that. After seeing that list I guess I really should make an effort to watch it. I just have a hard time paying theater prices when I can rent it for far less and enjoy it in the comfort of my own home.

[nikopolidis]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Oh, a few...

Ooooops... What a stupid question from me!
I counted 42 awards... I think they won just... EVERYTHING!