Ethan Cohen, Joel Cohen Directors/Screenplay Adapted from novel by Cormac McCarthy Miramax Paramount Films 2007
This movie is a modern western that might well have been sub-titled ‘The Terminator goes Texan.’ Essentially, the good guys, a variety of Texas lawmen played by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones chase, and are chased by, a very lethal and evil serial killer. Josh Brolin’s character stumbles upon a group of bodies in the desert – the result of a dope deal gone bad. He finds a suitcase full of money and the movie suddenly has a raison d’etre as the one of the nastiest bad ass guys you will ever meet comes after him to get his money and revenge. Certainly the main bad guy, Chigurch, is played well by Javier Bardem. Chigurch toys with his victims like a cat with a mouse before he blows most of them away. It’s hard to say too much about the plot without giving the story away so I will proceed to my summary. For a movie with endless shooting and violence, I think the movie itself misfires. Certain basic elements of story-telling that works are simply ignored here. The main bad guy, although a little interesting at times trying to cipher what he is doing with his little mind-games is essentially one-dimensionally evil with no redeeming features. He also has tremendous luck. At the end of most films we expect the villain to get their due but this doesn’t really happen. The movie ends abruptly in my view as if the last ten minutes was left on the floor of the editing room. Having said that, the movie is longer than it needs to be. After the first ten guys are dead – well we get the idea O.K.. This film seems apocalyptic in a “What is the world coming too” sort of way. No country for live men might be a better title. I realize this review is but a minnow swimming against the sea of accolades that may well award an Oscar to the movie for best picture. Perhaps I just don’t get it. I give the movie two stars out of five.
Movie Review: No Country For Old Men
Ethan Cohen, Joel Cohen Directors/Screenplay
Adapted from novel by Cormac McCarthy
Miramax Paramount Films 2007
This movie is a modern western that might well have been sub-titled ‘The Terminator goes Texan.’
Essentially, the good guys, a variety of Texas lawmen played by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones chase, and are chased by, a very lethal and evil serial killer.
Josh Brolin’s character stumbles upon a group of bodies in the desert – the result of a dope deal gone bad. He finds a suitcase full of money and the movie suddenly has a raison d’etre as the one of the nastiest bad ass guys you will ever meet comes after him to get his money and revenge.
Certainly the main bad guy, Chigurch, is played well by Javier Bardem. Chigurch toys with his victims like a cat with a mouse before he blows most of them away.
It’s hard to say too much about the plot without giving the story away so I will proceed to my summary.
For a movie with endless shooting and violence, I think the movie itself misfires. Certain basic elements of story-telling that works are simply ignored here.
The main bad guy, although a little interesting at times trying to cipher what he is doing with his little mind-games is essentially one-dimensionally evil with no redeeming features. He also has tremendous luck. At the end of most films we expect the villain to get their due but this doesn’t really happen.
The movie ends abruptly in my view as if the last ten minutes was left on the floor of the editing room. Having said that, the movie is longer than it needs to be. After the first ten guys are dead – well we get the idea O.K..
This film seems apocalyptic in a “What is the world coming too” sort of way. No country for live men might be a better title.
I realize this review is but a minnow swimming against the sea of accolades that may well award an Oscar to the movie for best picture. Perhaps I just don’t get it.
I give the movie two stars out of five.
Malcolm Watts
Visit my writing website www.authorsden.com/malcolmwatats