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*** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

post #1 of 100
9/10/07 at 10:16pm
Thread Starter 
Ebert calls it a "perfect film".

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...ALS03/70908002
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post #2 of 100
11/7/07 at 12:18pm

*** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

James B gave it 3 and 1/2 stars, really liking it.

http://www.reelviews.net/movies/n/no_country.html

"Not to mention that Javier Bardem portrays a monster with such a sick mind that it almost makes Norman Bates in Psycho seem normal."

He called Bardems character the best on screen villian since Hopkins Lecter in SOTL
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post #3 of 100
11/11/07 at 12:31am

*** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I won't be able to see this before the wide release on the 21st and I have a message to everyone that's already seen it:

I hate you.
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post #4 of 100
11/11/07 at 3:14am
Thread Starter 

*** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Yeah, it's awesome.

The thing is, you could legitimately just declare it one of greatest suspense thrillers ever made and call it a day. It's riveting stuff, and what film wouldn't be content with that label. But what really stays with you when you leave the theater are the philosophical meditations/probings. The film has an extremely existential perspective. All the choices/decisions the character make are really key (And Bardem definitely represents our awareness and anxiety of impending death/chaos. He's definitely not any kind of "rational" force in the world).
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post #5 of 100
11/11/07 at 3:18am

*** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "No Country for Old Men". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "No Country for Old Men" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy
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post #6 of 100
11/11/07 at 5:51pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Damn!!!! I wanted to see this today but it was sold out!!!!!!
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post #7 of 100
11/11/07 at 7:17pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Looks like Im prob gonna have to wait until the 21st too
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post #8 of 100
11/11/07 at 7:42pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I'm going to try to see it again next weekend.

~T
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post #9 of 100
11/12/07 at 2:18pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Saw it this weekend. Haven't enjoyed a Coen film as much since Fargo, and I may even prefer it to that film, although I still have to chew on it a bit to really determine its merit.

Everything they're saying about Javier Bardem is true. You can't look away any time he's on screen, even when you want to.

Most of the film's running time is a flawlessly executed thriller, a la Blood Simple, with some semi-philosophical musings from Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff character thrown in. Then the last act of the film takes a narrative turn that will leave some viewers frustrated, but which really serves to foreground those hitherto background themes and forces you to think about them. Your willingness to do so will largely dictate your response to the ending.

I guess I don't really have to avoid spoilers here, but I will anyway, since it appears few have seen this one yet. Suffice to say that this is a must-see, certainly a return to form for the Coens, although it will divide people.

--Jefferson Morris
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post #10 of 100
11/12/07 at 4:22pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I'll pop a review in for this tomorrow. I did want to give a quick take. It has a VERY challenging third act, but it is set up from many previous scenes. It's brilliantly made, and Bardem is as menacing as any actor has ever been in ANY role. Key word: EVER.

More tomorrow,
Chuck
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post #11 of 100
11/12/07 at 5:52pm
Thread Starter 

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jefferson Morris
Most of the film's running time is a flawlessly executed thriller, a la Blood Simple, with some semi-philosophical musings from Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff character thrown in. Then the last act of the film takes a narrative turn that will leave some viewers frustrated, but which really serves to foreground those hitherto background themes and forces you to think about them. Your willingness to do so will largely dictate your response to the ending.

I would probably still love the film without that ending, but I don't think it would have haunted my thoughts (and dreams!) so strongly, even 3 days after seeing it. The 'concept' is straight from the novel, but constructing it as part of a cinematic narrative has to be seen as an incredibly audacious and risky move by the Coens. While yes, it might baffle some in the short term, I am certain this is exactly why the "film as a piece" will be percieved long term as something quite more than a "flawlessly executed thriller".
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post #12 of 100
11/13/07 at 3:17pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

By calling the first three-quarters of the movie "flawlessly executed," I didn't mean to imply that I think it goes wrong at the end. What I really meant to say is that the film morphs from a pretty straightforward suspense film into something more mercurial, and - I agree - haunting.

I also expect the film's reputation to grow. And I can't wait for the high-def disc--this'll be the first Coen film that I will actually purchase on video in a very long time (I haven't been really jazzed by anything they've done since Fargo. Yes, including the much-loved Lebowski.)

--Jefferson Morris
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post #13 of 100
11/13/07 at 11:10pm
Thread Starter 

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I hear ya.
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post #14 of 100
11/14/07 at 8:13am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill GrandPre
I won't be able to see this before the wide release on the 21st and I have a message to everyone that's already seen it:

I hate you.

What Bill said.

I can't believe this wasn't opened in Austin earlier.
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post #15 of 100
11/14/07 at 8:27am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jefferson Morris
And I can't wait for the high-def disc--this'll be the first Coen film that I will actually purchase on video in a very long time (I haven't been really jazzed by anything they've done since Fargo. Yes, including the much-loved Lebowski.)

--Jefferson Morris

Yeah, the only question will be whether it will be on HD DVD or Blu Ray, since both Paramount and Miramax (Disney) are distributing the film.

I can't wait to see the film this weekend. In the meantime, I'm preparing myself by watching a Coen bros. marathon.
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post #16 of 100
11/15/07 at 3:33pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Ah, the joys of format neutrality.

--Jefferson Morris
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post #17 of 100
11/17/07 at 9:08am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I just saw this film last night. WOW. Even though I did not like the ending, I have been constantly thinking about the movie in general. What can you say about Javier Bardem that has not already been said? One of the most menacing villains in the history of cinema. Not just recent history but all history.


Possible Spoilers below********** Dont read if you haven't seen film



There is an aspect of the film which continues to dwell in my mind. Can people on this forum confirm the large or total absence of music or soundtrack throughout the film?? Was there music during the opening credits or during the opening scenes on the dessert? I cant remember but I strongly believe there wasnt. I think the lack of music in the background makes this movie that much more effective.

Was there a soundtrack in the background during the middle of the movie or during the ending scenes?
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post #18 of 100
11/17/07 at 10:19pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Carlos, I believe you're right - there is no score in NCfOM until the end credits. IMO this was a stroke of genius by the Coens, as it showcased Craig Berkey's brilliant sound design for maximum effect. Who could have imagined the sound of the unscrewing of a light bulb could be so chilling??
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post #19 of 100
11/18/07 at 12:00pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Craig:

You are right. Some of the sounds in that movie, in the absence of music, are so unnerving.


Spoilers below************ Don't read if you haven't seen the movie.


That sound of the rifle weapon with the silencer attached in the end. That thing just makes me very very uneasy. I don't think there is any way that I would have been remotely as affected by it if there was music in the background. The scene in the hotel right after the bad guy unscrewed the lightbulb and blew out the lock. And the battle outside as the good guy tries to make a getaway in the truck, with the deadly silent bullets and that damn silencer making that noise. The AWARENESS of sounds in the absence of a soundtrack is startling. Sounds that would be drowned out in other movies making use of soundtracks. Craig, you are right. It was brilliant sound design.
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post #20 of 100
11/18/07 at 3:34pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I also noticed that there no musical score for pretty much the entire film. Which is strange considering that Carter Burwell (who has scored all the Coens' films) was given a credit in No Country.

This is definitely a film that requires repeat viewings to fully comprehend. I'm definitely gonna see it again this week.
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post #21 of 100
11/18/07 at 3:37pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I found a lot of people leaving the theater confused and disgruntle about the ending of the film.
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post #22 of 100
11/18/07 at 4:57pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Which is strange considering that Carter Burwell (who has scored all the Coens' films) was given a credit in No Country.
Well, even though he only scored a few minutes of music for the end credits it still counts.
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post #23 of 100
11/18/07 at 9:46pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Like many others, including the 3 friends I saw it with, I loved the first three quarters of the film, but could have used a better ending.

*** SPOILERS FOLLOW ***





The dialogue throughout and the narrative are riveting, until the scene where TLJ goes into the hotel room where JB is hiding at the end, knowing he is there and DOES NOT SEE HIM!!! I realized then that the film was trying to tell me something not obvious at this point, and I totally got that JB is supposed to be more of a symbol of death in all its inevitability than a real, indestructible person. But when a movie goes on for 2 hours on a completely realistic note and then suddenly does a flip like this, it's a little hard to take. I, for one, spent the next 2 or 3 minutes going, WTF!, and got lost. I'm sure the whole thing will make more sense on a second viewing, but I can't help but wonder if the same realistic tone couldn't have been sustained until the end, without throwing the audience off, and still have told the same story with the same results but without the confusion. Like Hitchcock would have done. I would have liked it more.
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post #24 of 100
11/19/07 at 2:55am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

This film alone deserves an entire course in film school just to discuss the cinematography, the minimal use of a musical score, the screenwriting and the character study, the boldness of the directorial choices made, and so on. The final act alone is worth a class or two to discuss.
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post #25 of 100
11/19/07 at 10:11am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Regarding the ending which has frustrated many people.

Two words. Two words that are spoken, either directly or indirectly, by each of the 3 main characters. Two words that make that ending make a whole lot of sense. Two words: "Hold still."
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post #26 of 100
11/19/07 at 10:40am

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I saw the film yesterday and it is still on my mind. "Haunted" is as good a word as any to describe how I feel.

When I left the theater, I hard many people saying "That's it?"

I asked myself: Why is Tommy Lee Jones in the movie?

Today, after reading other reviews and mediatating on what I saw and heard last night, I understand:

Those who have seen NCfOM will know what I mean. Those who haven't, view it through this prism: Sherriff Ed Tom Bell is the movie.
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post #27 of 100
11/19/07 at 5:29pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by GerardoHP
But when a movie goes on for 2 hours on a completely realistic note and then suddenly does a flip like this, it's a little hard to take. I, for one, spent the next 2 or 3 minutes going, WTF!, and got lost. I'm sure the whole thing will make more sense on a second viewing, but I can't help but wonder if the same realistic tone couldn't have been sustained until the end, without throwing the audience off, and still have told the same story with the same results but without the confusion. Like Hitchcock would have done. I would have liked it more.

That's a debatable point. What assassin goes around using a cattle air-hammer as a weapon? A silenced shotgun?

This film isn't about realism as much as symbolism and theme.

And, we get that in spades.
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post #28 of 100
11/24/07 at 12:05pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

I thought using no music was brilliant. Instead you get distant sounds, like the scene where Chigurh finds Moss in the hotel room after Moss finds the tracker. Most films prob would have used music to highten anticipation.

The following chase scene was masterfully done.

I dont get the problem people are having with the ending.

Great film.
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post #29 of 100
11/24/07 at 12:10pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by JonZ

I dont get the problem people are having with the ending.

Great film.
They don't understand it and what does it mean with him walking away from being T-Bone with a compound fracture of the arm.
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post #30 of 100
11/24/07 at 2:36pm

Re: *** Official NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Discussion Thread

Possible spoilers below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jose Martinez
This film alone deserves an entire course in film school just to discuss the cinematography, the minimal use of a musical score, the screenwriting and the character study, the boldness of the directorial choices made, and so on. The final act alone is worth a class or two to discuss.
I agree wholeheartedly.

The transition into the third act comes as Sheriff Bell, played by Tommy Lee Jones, hears automatic weapons fire in the distance. He drives toward that and sees what has just happened between Llewellyn and the killer Chigurh. Later, the sheriff returns to the motel room to search it again because he seems to sense that Chigurh is close, so he holds back from looking any further. All he has to do was look in one more spot, where the killer is waiting, or hiding, and one or both of them would be killed.

The sight of Chigurh wiping his feet on the ground as he leaves the old frame house tells us what became of the poor girl inside. That gesture leaves no doubt in my mind.

At the end, one gets the impression that the retired sheriff's nightmare will come to pass sooner than he thinks. This is no country for old men.

Remember this is Cormac McCarthy's story being told on the screen, not the Cohen brothers'. Literary critics are already writing books about McCarthy's prose and "No Country For Old Men" is receiving its fair share of analysis. The Cohens are faithful to the source novel, its characters and underlying themes, as well as its surface plotting. They are particularly good with McCarthy's dialog. One has to applaud their courage. Anyone else would have changed the entire third act as well as the ending.
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