Director(s): Joel and Ethan Coen
Year: 2007
My Rating: ***
At the request of a few people, I saw this movie purely to review it here – it was on my list but hadn’t been a priority, mostly because I’d only seen one preview and a while ago, at that. I remembered that it looked violent, potentially funny, and like it would fit into a very particular, dark niche. Turns out that I was pretty much right about all of those things.
To start, I don’t recommend this movie to people who like clear-cut answers and meaning in their movies. While the storyline is linear, the Coen brothers don’t ever tell you straight out how to feel about what they’re showing you. It is not a formulaic, “this is what is happening and this is how you should feel about it” kind of film. I have a vague sense that it’s “about” our choices about getting involved in the various moments of our lives, and the ways in which those choices lead to our ultimate fate. I have a stronger sense that to try to define and categorize it that way is to sabotage the ultimate artistry of the piece, which is based around atmosphere and experience. If you can see yourself being able to do that, I very much recommend that you do see this.
It’s a film whose mastery is rooted in the performances of its leads; Tommy Lee Jones is fantastic as Ed Tom Bell, the Sheriff investigating the series of gruesome events around which the plot circles. Javier Bardem is menacing and utterly fascinating as Chigurh, the lead villain. Blessed with some truly incredible lines and dialogue (which I understand is surprisingly close to the book, which is apparently rare for adaptations), both Jones and Bardem prove themselves to be masters of nuance and understated theatrical genius. There are many scenes that could easily go down in classic movie history just for their quotability, let alone the actual performance of the actors.
No Country… moves forward with intense, inexorable momentum, weaving a web of intimidation, impending doom, and suspense for the viewer, peppered with perfect moments of ironic humor. It’s well-framed visually, impeccably acted, and sure to be a heavy hitter this awards season.
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1 comment:
i agree wholeheartedly. thought the screenplay was great, and the intense but not exhaustively stressful tone was perfect for the ethically uncertain theme. i liked it, and aspire to your eloquence.
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