No Country for Old Men

[Chaplin]

All the same reasons I loved it. It's crap because you can't wrap your mind around it? Well, I can't argue, because it's your opinion. Not to sound like I'm picking on you, Jim, so don't read that into my post. I was almost laughing at people coming out of the theater that were cussing about how they didn't understand it.

*****Possible spoilers*****

A lot of folks didn't realize you weren't supposed to come out of it with a warm fuzzy at the end. It's not a typical lovey-dovey, all the good guys win and the guy gets the girl and golley gee, ain't life grand, kind of movie. Too much Hollywood drekk follows this same boring line. I love that you get unsettled, uncomfortable, and unsatisfied at the end. Perfect ending too, IMO.

Unless it's a comedy, I tend to disagree nowadays--the trend now is no happy endings. However, I like endings that leave you uncomfortable, but I want endings that at least wrap things up and leave you with more answers than questions. It's great to think on a movie and interpret it, but if you continually question what the hell is going on, you don't interpret the movie, you're just trying to figure out what it is you saw and the message gets lost.

 

[Gaddabout]

The Coen Bros. were faithful the book, and the ending was necessary to carry the point of the story. Justice is not an impervious, immovable force, and those few who choose to attempt to deliver it live a sad, lonely, sometimes flawed existence. There are a great deal more who choose evil than those handful who champion justice. Justice is out-numbered.

If you walked away feeling overwhelmed or outraged by the prevalence of injustice, well, then you got the point. Think of the sheriff as an Old Testament prophet. He's a suffering servant all alone in his quest.

 

[Stout]

The Coen Bros. were faithful the book, and the ending was necessary to carry the point of the story. Justice is not an impervious, immovable force, and those few who choose to attempt to deliver it live a sad, lonely, sometimes flawed existence. There are a great deal more who choose evil than those handful who champion justice. Justice is out-numbered.

If you walked away feeling overwhelmed or outraged by the prevalence of injustice, well, then you got the point. Think of the sheriff as an Old Testament prophet. He's a suffering servant all alone in his quest.

Thanks, man. Made a great point with your post. It wasn't about closure. It was about the nastiness that can happen, how it can wreck you, and what is left. How you can sometimes choose not to indulge in the seedier parts of life, but what happens when you do. And to disagree with you, Chap, I do not believe a movie needs to answer more questions than it asks. If done right (as this movie no question was), it can be much better.

 

[Chaplin]

Thanks, man. Made a great point with your post. It wasn't about closure. It was about the nastiness that can happen, how it can wreck you, and what is left. How you can sometimes choose not to indulge in the seedier parts of life, but what happens when you do. And to disagree with you, Chap, I do not believe a movie needs to answer more questions than it asks. If done right (as this movie no question was), it can be much better.

I just disagree. I like questioning things after a movie--the best movies make you question your life using the movie as an example. This movie was sporadic in that it did it well for a long time, then lost it towards the end.

Don't get me wrong, I still liked the movie (liked, not loved), I just was frustrated with the plot holes.

 

[Gizmo Williams]

Like There Will Be Blood, I was a little disappointed in this movie. There were several plot holes and when one of the characters met his demise, I felt it was a cheat--we spend 3/4 of the movie following him and then he's dead. We don't see how (although it is implied) and then that's the end of it.

I just saw it last night and I really enjoyed it.

I liked the way they dealt with it. I don't think the movie would have been better if we would have seen the action. The set up at the bus station in Del Rio was sufficient and very effective. I think they might have exhausted their supply of fake blood by that point in the movie.

Also, I liked the ending. Things did get wrapped up in a way at the end, but also made the point that the evil force would continue on and the battles between good and evil will never end. Once again...I don't think the movie would have been better if the sheriff got up on a horse and rode off into the sunset...his discussion of his dreams at the end was basically that.

 

[azsouthendzone]

The last 20 minutes destroyed the movie for me. Thank God I didn't make that a blind buy. I am shocked that won best picture, actually no I'm not. The more I think about the Oscars in general, the more I am starting to realize what a waste they are. I am lost as to why that movie is the "best picture" of the past year. I think for a movie to be the best, it needs to have a big impact on people, have a great story, and great acting, and be all around phenominal. That was not. It wasn't in the same league as Gone Baby Gone, Juno, 3:10 to Yuma or even freaking Rattatouie. What an utter disappointment. Anyone can make an arguement as to why they like a movie, but you really have to bring it to call it the best. I'm lost on this one. I guess that's what makes it brilliant to some.

Go ahead with the "Well it isn't for the Transformers crowd" comments....

The Cohens got too artsy fartsy for their own good.

 

[Stout]

The last 20 minutes destroyed the movie for me. Thank God I didn't make that a blind buy. I am shocked that won best picture, actually no I'm not. The more I think about the Oscars in general, the more I am starting to realize what a waste they are. I am lost as to why that movie is the "best picture" of the past year. I think for a movie to be the best, it needs to have a big impact on people, have a great story, and great acting, and be all around phenominal. That was not. It wasn't in the same league as Gone Baby Gone, Juno, 3:10 to Yuma or even freaking Rattatouie. What an utter disappointment. Anyone can make an arguement as to why they like a movie, but you really have to bring it to call it the best. I'm lost on this one. I guess that's what makes it brilliant to some.

Go ahead with the "Well it isn't for the Transformers crowd" comments....

The Cohens got too artsy fartsy for their own good.

Wow, I didn't think it was artsy fartsy at all. I think it was a gritty way of portraying the evil and darkness of the world. How no one man can stop the wave of violence and crime, that it will beat him down until he hangs it up, and then the next young man will come along, pick up the beacon, and carry on the fight. I thought the ending was perfect for that, ending so abrubptly exactly how the sheriff's hope, energy, and career ended. Oh well. I figured not everyone would like it. To me, it was most definitely one of the best films of the year.

 

[Louis]

Ratatouille was awesome.

I'm expecting No Country in the mail hopefully today.

I read the book and from discussions with my dad the movie and the book sound pretty close together. Which sounds fine to me.

By the way In The Valley of Elah was much better than 3:10, Juno, Ratatouille, and Michael Clayton. American Gangster was a fine film as well.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Wow, I didn't think it was artsy fartsy at all. I think it was a gritty way of portraying the evil and darkness of the world. How no one man can stop the wave of violence and crime, that it will beat him down until he hangs it up, and then the next young man will come along, pick up the beacon, and carry on the fight. I thought the ending was perfect for that, ending so abrubptly exactly how the sheriff's hope, energy, and career ended. Oh well. I figured not everyone would like it. To me, it was most definitely one of the best films of the year.

The thing is that its supposed to be about Tommy Lee Jones, yet it really doesnt focus on him until near the end.

"How no one man can stop the wave of violence and crime, that it will beat him down until he hangs it up, and then the next young man will come along, pick up the beacon, and carry on the fight."

That was portrayed by one of the main characters getting killed off screen, followed by 20 minutes of incoherent ramblings bt Tommy Lee Jones.


"I thought the ending was perfect for that, ending so abrubptly exactly how the sheriff's hope, energy, and career ended."

There are other ways to portray that than ending with 20 minute mumblings. I think the biggest problem was that the audience didn't care about Tommy Lee Jones. This movie really wasn't about him, yet the final 20 minutes tried to make it about his inner struggle but at that point no one cared,

 

[Stout]

The thing is that its supposed to be about Tommy Lee Jones, yet it really doesnt focus on him until near the end.

"How no one man can stop the wave of violence and crime, that it will beat him down until he hangs it up, and then the next young man will come along, pick up the beacon, and carry on the fight."

That was portrayed by one of the main characters getting killed off screen, followed by 20 minutes of incoherent ramblings bt Tommy Lee Jones.


"I thought the ending was perfect for that, ending so abrubptly exactly how the sheriff's hope, energy, and career ended."

There are other ways to portray that than ending with 20 minute mumblings. I think the biggest problem was that the audience didn't care about Tommy Lee Jones. This movie really wasn't about him, yet the final 20 minutes tried to make it about his inner struggle but at that point no one cared,

No, they're only rumblings to you. To me, it's brilliant storytelling. You might not have cared about Tommy Lee Jones, but I did. I thought it was a very compelling character--a small-town lawman who never has to deal with much, who lets everything slide off of him, only underneath, it really does bother him. At the end, he's finally letting it all out. You don't have to agree with me, though, and I'm not trying to convince you. Just presenting the other side of the coin. To each his own.

 

[Chaplin]

No, they're only rumblings to you. To me, it's brilliant storytelling. You might not have cared about Tommy Lee Jones, but I did. I thought it was a very compelling character--a small-town lawman who never has to deal with much, who lets everything slide off of him, only underneath, it really does bother him. At the end, he's finally letting it all out. You don't have to agree with me, though, and I'm not trying to convince you. Just presenting the other side of the coin. To each his own.

That's the problem. I don't think they did a great job getting that across. I loved the character for what it was, but it was like he was basically a background character until one of the main characters was killed, then they tried to bring the sheriff to the forefront, but he wasn't developed enough early to make you care--what made it worse is that fact that while trying to bump up the sympathy for him, you are still trying to figure out why they killed off a main character like they did. So that causes one to lose focus on what they were trying to do for the final 15 minutes of the film.

 

[Zeno]

I finally saw this last night. I really liked it right up until the ending...lame way to end the movie. Overall though it was entertaining.

 

[Stout]

That's the problem. I don't think they did a great job getting that across. I loved the character for what it was, but it was like he was basically a background character until one of the main characters was killed, then they tried to bring the sheriff to the forefront, but he wasn't developed enough early to make you care--what made it worse is that fact that while trying to bump up the sympathy for him, you are still trying to figure out why they killed off a main character like they did. So that causes one to lose focus on what they were trying to do for the final 15 minutes of the film.

*Shrug* to each their own. I thought it was well done in the theater, and I liked it just as well last night. I found myself connected to the sheriff early on even though he had smaller screen time, so I guess that helped a lot for me.

 

[FArting]

I saw it with some of my friends. Good movie.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

I just finished watching this movie about 30minutes ago...It was a very good movie, and then it ended and I was like, "WTF, that's the ending!?"

 

[KloD]

I just finished watching this movie about 30minutes ago...It was a very good movie, and then it ended and I was like, "WTF, that's the ending!?"

I think that about 90+% of movies I see. I hate formula written hollywood movies, I like the kind that just pop in and show us a chunk of time in peoples lives and than just pop right out. Did you like the Sopranos ending? I'm wondering if those that didn't, don't like this one either?

 

[D-Dogg]

That's the problem. I don't think they did a great job getting that across. I loved the character for what it was, but it was like he was basically a background character until one of the main characters was killed, then they tried to bring the sheriff to the forefront, but he wasn't developed enough early to make you care--what made it worse is that fact that while trying to bump up the sympathy for him, you are still trying to figure out why they killed off a main character like they did. So that causes one to lose focus on what they were trying to do for the final 15 minutes of the film.

I think you hit it perfectly...I've struggled with the ending since I've seen the movie. I think the film was amazing, but something was off. In the experience of watching it, I really didn't care about TLJ's character...he was on the periphery. I enjoyed him when he was on, but I never felt he was all that important...just powerless (which is what he was and is the point I know). That it concluded with him just didn't "feel" right for me. I would have been better off seeing Bardem walking off after the wreck as the end of the film...

Just me.

 

[Chaplin]

A little interesting side note... I watched a screener of this film a few weeks ago, and before I was watching it, I was listening to one of the Directv XM stations. The timing was perfect, because even though I had the DVD going, I never switched my stereo over at first, so that whole first sequence where Josh Brolin was investigating the drug massacre had no sound--it was all the music from that XM station (which was a slow chillout electronic station). Until he spoke to the guy still alive in the cab of the truck, I didn't know that there was sound--I thought the Coens made the conscious choice to use music only. It was very surreal, and strangely, the effect worked.

(For the record, I did rewind back and watched the sequence with the correct soundtrack)

 

[Dr. Jones]

I was entranced..... Then they screwed the pooch. To many wide open holes were left. Tie the knot or put on sandals.

Great bad guy though. LOVED how he checked his shoes after leaving the wife's house.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Cool Movie.

Definately geared towards the languistic/artsy group. I had a little trouble following the whole thing (thus I should watch it again) but I do have that problem with the "read between the lines" type films that use a lot of symbolism and where things are implied.

I will watch it again to try and see what I missed.

All the roles were well done. I think what really hurt the movie was character development, but then again you have time restrictions.

I guess like most things the book was better, and the movie was a good stripped down version of the book.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Saw this movie last night...while I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, in hindsight I think it was kind of silly. Especially the character of Chigur. He was basically a cartoon character. Amazing how a hit-man could be so sloppy yet continue to evade the law.

Probably because, in this movie, the only law enforcement after him is Tommy Lee Jones who has no idea what he looks like ("all we know is that he drinks milk"). Tommy even keeps refusing to return to the scene of murders ("there's no new bodies is there?") because he thinks that line is witty.

If a real hitman was killing virutally everyone he came in contact with (including cops....with all kinds of clever weapons no less), wouldn't a statewide man-hunt including the FBI be involved? What about the first hotel manager where those Mexican's got killed? Wouldn't the cops question her? I think she might bring up two different men asked for rooms adjacent to the room with the Mexicans (they both even asked to see a map). There ya go. Lets get a sketch image...that Chigur guy's face tends to leave an impression.

We saw the trailer park lady have some heated dialogue with Chigur. Tommy Lee wasn't smart enough to ask if anyone had seen anything after discovering the trailer had been broken into?

Did Tommy Lee get the footprints of whoever murdered the two white guys in the desert "execution style"?

Maybe there's so much violence in Tommy Lee's world because he's a lousy cop!

And are we really suppose to believe that Chigur is really hit man for hire? Who would hire this guy? Everyone who hires him or works with him ends up just as dead as the people he's hired to kill!

I guess Chigur decided to keep the money in the end. But what was going to do with it? What does the "Grim Reaper" do with two million bucks (besides get that nagging arm injury fixed)?

Spend it? On what? More guns to kill people with? A haircut?

Who knows. Ive read today that some people think his character is a ghost, which is translation for this guy is too ridiculous to be taken seriously.

 

[nashman]

was ok then the ending sucked

 

[Louis]

What was wrong with the ending?

Did everybody want the weak, old sheriff who longed for the days of peacekeeping without a weapon to kill the "ultimate badass"?

Was it the anti-Hollywood ending of Moss and his wife getting killed. Moss by random hired thugs and not Chigurh?

Was it the fatalistic theme?

IMO the best film I've seen for 2007 and it competes as being one of the best films I've ever seen. Worthy of viewing upon viewing.

 

[Gizmo Williams]

Who knows. Ive read today that some people think his character is a ghost, which is translation for this guy is too ridiculous to be taken seriously.

Actually that makes alot of sense. You could view Chigur as a grim reaper type figure....when he shows up someone, somehow is going to die. He may have just been a representation of evil and the tragic outcomes when you get embroiled in it. The killings were not literally carried out by Chigur but he represented the evil force behind the death and destruction. And maybe that is why the movie had the Mexican gang kill Moss. All the other dead people could have met similar fates but Chigur just represents the evil force behind the acts.


Just a thought.

 

[Louis]

The human aspect of Chigurh was shown in the accident at the end. This solidified his being man and he too can not escape the inevitable outcome, death.