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Author Topic: No Country for Old Men (2007) David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-25-2007 12:08 AM                        Saw it this evening at the Regal 15 in Eugene (#8). If not for a faint narrow vertical band of horizontal scratches I'd give the presentation a high score. Very sharp, crisp, steady, and bright. I doubt anyone else noticed the scratches but me. The Coen Bros. have cranked out yet another very original and very engrossing film. Also extremely violent -- not for the squeamish. Very well-written and well-acted. I give it 4.5 out of 5.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan M. Crist Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 531 From: Hershey, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-25-2007 10:24 AM                     Suspense and terror, according to Alfred Hitchcock, is in the anticipation of what is going to happen more than in the execution. In 'No Country' you can certainly see the Coen Brothers following this Hitchcock mantra. However, when you look a bit closer, you can see that the film they have fashioned is still essentially "Charly Varrick" meets the "The Terminator". Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. For me the weakest part was the ending - which may have intended to be ambiguous (a la the Sopranos) or (more cynically) may have been crafted merely to set up the sequel. 4 stars out of 5.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-26-2007 05:23 PM                     Nice to see the Coen boys back in the saddle again! This is a deep, dark, complex film. The story is complicated, and not all questions are answered. It has excellent performances from everyone involved, and I believe it is the first film to feature a can of compressed air as a lethal weapon...at least how it is used in this movie. This is a good film to see with friends, as there will be MUCH to talk about when it is over. There are many small details that do not seem relevant at the time that actually mean a lot in the context of the film. Academic rating - A-. Much violence, but all is necessary. Special mention to Javier Bardem as a real-life "Terminator". This guy is just impossible to stop!  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 11-28-2007 02:00 PM                        CINEMA: Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT AUDITORIUM: 10 PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema DLP PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None RATING: Three stars (out of four) WARNING: "Mister? You've got a bone sticking out your Spoilers." THE PLOT: Some Guy goes hunting and finds money and trouble. Wackiness ensues. It's a quiet, dark, stark piece with lots of talking and lots of bodies. And it's mostly done well, if not a little anticlimactic by the end. Apparently, based on dialog in the feature, this is set in 1980. Aside from cars, they didn't do much else to set the tone in that period of time...there's all sorts of modern logos visible, including the modern Domino's logo and the previous Carl's Jr logo (on a converted Burger King, no less.) Rats. Now I'm hungry.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 11-29-2007 03:00 AM                     I loved this movie! Its great to see the Coen brothers back in top form. Javier Bardem is freaking great in this role, and I agree he is a shoe in for a nomination come Award time. I think he'd be getting robbed if he didn't win. Its nice to see Josh Brolin step out and do some good pieces of work as of late. I personaly liked the way they skip the (SPOILERS) Shoot out where Lou Ellen gets killed and only show you the aftermath. Very effective. (END SPOILERS) A solid 4.5/5 A must see and must own  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 12-16-2007 05:13 PM                     After much deliberation, I have decided this is THE BEST movie this decade, featuring one of the greatest villains in movie history. There is one scene in particular that is so chilling yet so simple, it changes that way your brain functions for some time. Whatever the highest rank is you can give a movie, add one.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-22-2008 08:02 AM                     I watched this last night; I'm lucky that my wife is a member of the Screen Actors Gulid ... they sent us a DVD screener. I wanted more of a wrap-up at the end, but I did like it. I have liked everything the Coen brothers have done.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-22-2008 09:57 AM                        Saw this movie last night. Awesome. (SPOILERS) Where can I get a silencer for a shotgun? Also, what is that thing called that the farmers use to kill their cattle? Call it - heads or tails? (/SPOILERS) Thought the ending could use some work. Other than that - great friggin movie. 4.5/5  |  IP: Logged Jim Bedford Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 597 From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-22-2008 10:45 AM                        It's almost like Javier Bardem wandered in from another movie.... perhaps a TERMINATOR clone. Who knows where Woody Harrelson wandered in from, but I'm glad he did. I found myself delighted and laughing at what seemed at the time all the wrong places. It's so great to see a film where what happens next is so unpredictable. You're there to see what you don't know rather than what you know is going to happen. "What will you take for that shirt?" Loved it and can't wait for the next Coen film (could it be.... NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN II? ) Top drawer. 12 out of 13.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-22-2008 11:44 AM                     MINOR SPOILER... OK, got a question though... how did Woody Harrelson know where Josh was?  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-23-2008 02:30 PM                     He read the script?  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 01-23-2008 06:48 PM                     Spoiler Hes an expert assassin just like Javier's character. Know the right people, pay the right people and you can get what ever information you want.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 03-12-2008 02:51 AM                        Are the spoiler tags working yet? C'mon Daryl, I e-mailed you the code! Surely it can be adapted for the UBB. [spoiler] Well acted. However I must say that this one could have been written during the writer's strike since there really isn't much information about anything in the movie... kind of like a rough draft of a script and they made shit up as they went along during the shoot. They told the actors to talk aimlessly about nothing to fill most of the dialog scenes. quote: Jonathan M. Crist For me the weakest part was the ending There wasn't an ending. It was literally completely missing. It was just Tommy Lee Jones (whose character had absolutely no business whatsoever being in the movie) sitting at the breakfast table rambling about something boring... and as slowly and boringly as he possibly could. "Artsy" folks (ie: dipshits) probably say how it's symbolic or something lame like that. Who cares? It needs to be entertaining before it can be anything else, and it most certainly is not entertaining. All Tommy Lee Jones' scenes could be cut from this movie and it would be 10 times better. I did not like how the main character (Josh Brolin) had a girl's name. I bet he would have survived if he wasn't raised to be such a sissy. quote: Chad Souder After much deliberation, I have decided this is THE BEST movie this decade Say what? Rambo was better. So was The Incredibles. And Kill Bill. I could go on. quote: Dennis Benjamin Thought the ending could use some work. What ending??? quote: John Walsh I wanted more of a wrap-up at the end The movie should have ended with him walking away from the car accident, not with a boring and useless character talking about his boring dream. My dreams are way more interesting than his. At least mine have nudity! quote: Mark Lensenmayer I believe it is the first film to feature a can of compressed air as a lethal weapon I used to blow out flakes from print shedding from my Christie projectors with a similar compressed air tank. Either the Christies are built like tanks, or the effect of a compressed air tank is ever-so-slightly slightly exaggerated. quote: Kurt Zupin [Woody Harrelson's character was] an expert assassin just like Javier's character. He clearly was not an expert of any kind, otherwise he could have killed the bad guy on the stairs. He had all the time in the world. Instead he turned into a chicken shit. What an asshole. I'm glad they canceled Cheers. Serves him right. [/spoiler]  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 03-12-2008 03:18 AM                        Don't be jealous of Tommy Lee Jones, its not attractive.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 03-12-2008 03:41 AM                        The only thing about Tommy Lee Jones which I'm jealous about is his paycheck.  |  IP: Logged

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