No Country For Old Menby Jennifer M. ContinoReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 I hadn't heard much about No Country For Old Men outside of it featured some crazed, deranged killer who terrorized everyone throughout the movie and made some flip a coin to determine if they would live or die. With a killer like that, it sounds like a story comic book fans, especially those of the Batman villain Two-Face, would appreciate. However, it also is a film by the Coen Brothers and their works are very hit and miss for me. I either really, really love something they've done like Brother, Where Art Thou or it's just something I have no real interest in seeing like The Ladykillers. So, I went into No Country For Old Men without a lot of expectations, despite their stellar performance at the Academy Awards.One of the things that is distracting for some people is that Coen Brothers' films jump all over the place. You have a bunch of different stories going on at the same time, that sometimes wrap up at the end, and sometimes, seemingly, don't. I like films like this, but I also like films to have a "clear" resolution at the end. There are a lot of shades of gray to No Country For Old Men. The stories weave together before it's all said and done, but their intertwining might not have the results that most film goers would like to see. There isn't really a "happy ending" here. There also is a lot of death, destruction and disturbing content. If you're easily bothered by films, then you'll want to skip this. If you don't mind seeing people killed and hurt in terrible ways, then you'll do ok with No Country For Old Men. I closed my eyes a few times during this film, but was able to stick it out. I like the way the Coens are kind of non-traditional in their storytelling. I've learned to expect the unexpected, and, even if something seems predictable, it probably isn't going to unfold the way you might think. I'm sure they pride themselves on doing these big and little twists. What I don't like is the length of time it takes some of their films to unfold. There seems to be a lot of extraneous content that could have been streamlined, or just avoided all together and still had the same effect on the film. When you're getting to the point where you can't wait for it to be over, because of how long it's seemed, that's not a good place to be. Still, though, the film had a lot of action, thrills and chills. The acting was superb, even if Tommy Lee Jones was playing a type of character that I think he's played before in several other films. I was very impressed with Javier Bardem. I think he will be an actor to watch and am anxious to see if he can play the "sane" person as well as he played this diabolical killer. No Country For Old Men is not for the faint of heart. It's a story that makes you think and work a little to get to the resolution. If you're not in the mood to give your brain a work out, you might want to avoid this. If you are in the mood to contemplate the content and go from point A to point B via a zillion other stops, this is right up your alley. Written: March 17, 2008
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