No Movie to Watch but....

No Country for Old Men

We (Mike, Melissa and Myself) went to see this movie the other day. It's not often that I choose to describe a movie going experience with one word, such as "Wow", and it's been some time since I've really had a good movie experience, so to be able to say both things about this movie makes me very happy.

Wow. I loved this movie. I didn't love the theater experience, but the movie was great...

We went to Saturday matinée with reasonable expectations. The Coen brothers are brilliant, there's no other way to put it, and with every film they produce, you remember how good their previous films were and feel compelled to go back and watch them.

Well, maybe that's just me.

In any case, this is one of those must see movies that you can't allow to pass you by. Unless you're stupid (as in "I really liked Spider-man 3" stupid). If you're stupid, your best bet is to skip this movie. You'll probably find yourself very confused when the credits roll, possibly even shouting something like, "What?" or "That's it?"

That's not to say that the ending is particularly difficult to understand for most people. The reason why the ending is so difficult for people to understand, I think, is because it doesn't end with a wild shootout and the hero riding off into the sunset. It ends, and I can say this without ruining the film, I think, with the main character reaching a conclusion about himself and his life.

Now, don't let the above paragraph dis-color your opinion either. This movie has an amazing amount of gun play, wicked battles, and blood / guts. The primary villian, for example, spends most of movie using a bolt stunner and a shotgun with a silencer (the size of a coffee can).

The greatest thing, however, about the Coen brother's writing is that the movie is allowed to move at it's own pace. This is great because you feel a building tension throughout the entire film, it's spectacular. It doesn't move too slow, and it doesn't move too fast. It's nearly flawless.

They also have a knack for symbolism and imagery that makes it just a treat to watch.

The only problem I had with the movie wasn't the film, but the theater experience. While I was prepared for the idiocracy of some of the patrons, something that seems to be impossible to avoid in this world, there was a couple behind me that spent the better part of the first hour of the movie basically restating all the action of the screen. It wasn't just one of the two, it was both, in a near alternating manner. The progression throughout the film left them making more and more idiotic statements per minute, resulting in my turning around and having to ask them to stop talking. When that didn't work after another ten minutes, I finally had to turn around and say, "the movie's happening on the fucking screen, I'd prefer to wait for the DVD for commentary, shut the fuck up." This resulted in the woman, who apparently hadn't been graced with common sense in the first 50 years of her life, saying, "What?" with such confusion that I was forced to laugh out loud while her husband (I assume) actually explained it to her.

This experience, however, did not ruin the film for me, but I certainly could have done without it.

The one this this movie did, which no movie has done for a while, was compel me to want to watch it again immediately following the final fade to black. That is to say, I would have gladly sat for another two hours and watch it again, if I'd had the money (or if it was playing immediately following).

All I can do is make the recommendation. This was one movie that I was looking forward to for a long time, the next movie on my list of 'must sees' is "I am Legend," which has all the makings of something great. Post apocalyptic horror starring Will Smith? Yes, please. I don't have the same standards for that as I do a Joel and Ethan Coen's work, but I am still putting it on an unfortunately high pedestal. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

We'll see, won't we.