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helicopterp .
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:02 am Post subject: The Accidental Protagonist |
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I saw the Coen brothers' new film, No Country for Old Men last night. It is the best film I have seen since Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien. [Children of Men, Howl's Moving Castle, Ratatouille, The Life Aquatic, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, and The Incredibles are other notables from this decade that I would place behind those two.]
Llewelyn Moss strikes me as an interesting character. Certainly, he's clever. He's often playful, and determined beyond measure. But his position as the film's protagonist feels forced--and I mean that in a good way. In a film where the only other options are the darkly humorous but still terrifying Anton Chigurh, who even at his most compelling moments is tough to root for, and the frequently (and fittingly) absent Ed Tom Bell, Llewelyn Moss feels like a cinematic experiment on par with early Soviet cinema's explorations of montage. Cormac McCarthy and the Coens offer up a brooding, ambiguous, violent, greedy, delusional man with an inscrutable history, but taken with the other lead characters and against the stunning void of the Coens' west Texas landscapes, he's all the audience has to grab hold of. And he transfixed us! (I speak for my entire theatre.) It was not that we believed in him or identified with him, but we depended on him solely because of his presence. He's compelling because he's a negative image to the void surrounding him.
How far can this concept be pushed? How much is a protagonist the mere product of happenstance rather than an actual construction of a hero?
There's plenty else in the movie to talk about, as well. _________________ Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one. |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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I've heard a few people rave about this film, i will check it out! |
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aderack .
Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 1105 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, I knew this was coming out eventually. Didn't know it already had! Seems to only be one place in the Bay Area playing it.
People are talking about it like it's the new Fargo. Which... could mean anything. Though Fargo's great and all, I'm more fond of the Barton Fink/Lebowski strain.
Still, hey. After Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, it's nice to see the Coens back on form. It seems like every time they reboot, they do it with a "dark" movie. Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country...
I'd not mind a DVD of Blood Simple. _________________
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helicopterp .
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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The DVD of Blood Simple already exists, but it might not be in print. It's no-frills.
No Country for Old Men is the best work the Coens have ever done, and this is coming from a huge admirer of theirs.
If you want a comparison with their other films, it has hints of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Fargo, and Blood Simple peppered throughout.
Less of the others.
(Honestly, I think The Big Lebowski is only better than Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty.) _________________ Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one. |
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Dracko .
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Blood Simple is amazing. Unrelated, but speaking noir, I'd like if a region 2 DVD of Payback was released. _________________ "This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!" |
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aderack .
Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 1105 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:50 am Post subject: |
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helicopterp wrote: | The DVD of Blood Simple already exists, but it might not be in print. It's no-frills. |
Yeah, I just don't have it! _________________
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Mr Mustache .
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:47 am Post subject: |
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One of my friends got tickets to an advance screening with Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. The film is pretty great. It's been a long while since I've seen such tight film-making. _________________ Straight up |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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I just downloaded the movie and it was only playable through DOM PLAYER which you have to pay for and is not a real program, GRR
Also apparently it installs a load of malware on your system. I wouldn't have minded so much but I tried to download Be Kind Rewind at the same time, and the Rar file was password protected! I guess you have to watch out when you're downloading very recent films. |
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seryogin JRPG Kommissar
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 886 Location: Occupied Stalingrad
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:48 am Post subject: |
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This movie is great. I'm bumping this for the Coen Brothers. _________________
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aderack .
Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 1105 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:10 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, artistically it's a new high for them. I need to process it more. Not sure what I think about it.
I like the dialog. Though I kind of expected that. And the structure, yeah, that's interesting.
I dunno. Something always bothers me when they go into "serious" mode. It took a long time for me to like Fargo. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. _________________
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seryogin JRPG Kommissar
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 886 Location: Occupied Stalingrad
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:44 am Post subject: |
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aderack wrote: | Yeah, artistically it's a new high for them. I need to process it more. Not sure what I think about it.
I like the dialog. Though I kind of expected that. And the structure, yeah, that's interesting.
I dunno. Something always bothers me when they go into "serious" mode. It took a long time for me to like Fargo. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. |
I wouldn't really call it a new high, if anything it seems to be a summation of everything that they've done before (excluding their more comedic works).
I got the same feeling. I left the theater feeling uneasy and troubled, because I didn't know exactly what to think. I spent a few hard hours playing around with my journal last night, trying to find a suitable frame for it and came up mostly blank, though I knew that I'd seen something that was very good.
I like that. It means, if anything, that a film is doing something very original. _________________
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helicopterp .
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: |
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As my friend and I sat through the credits, this conversation took place:
Guy #1: Umm...so, was that funny?
Guy #2: Well...uh....
Guy #1: Seriously. I was on the edge of laughter the whole time, but I could never tell if I should, so I just stayed there on the edge.
Guy #2: Uhhh, yeah. Me too. _________________ Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one. |
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helicopterp .
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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Mr Mustache wrote: | It's been a long while since I've seen such tight film-making. |
That was true for me before No Country for Old Men.
Then I saw There Will Be Blood tonight. _________________ Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one. |
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boojiboy7 .
Joined: 26 Nov 2006 Posts: 248 Location: Yeah, THAT Cleveland.
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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Guys I really like The Ladykillers a lot.
But yes, this was quite good, certainly the best thing the Coens have done. |
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daphaknee just enemies now
Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 892 Location: YAY AREA
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:35 am Post subject: |
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i just saw a cohen brothers box set at borders for like fourty dollars
im totally getting that shit |
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Faithless .
Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 153
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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Being a member of the Hollywood Union World Where I'm Expected To Vote On Actors and Stuff, I have a copy of No Country for Old Men on DVD sitting here on my desk.
I have not yet seen it, but probably will watch it today.
Mostly, I'm bragging right up there.
Here's more. I also have a copy of Into the Wild, King of Kong, and a giant glossy free pass to There Will Be Blood.
I am bragging because this is the first year this has ever happened to me. _________________ www.call-to-adventure.com
Don't Refuse. |
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helicopterp .
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Faithless wrote: | a giant glossy free pass to There Will Be Blood |
go go go go go go go gooo see it _________________ Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one. |
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seryogin JRPG Kommissar
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 886 Location: Occupied Stalingrad
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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A friend of mine works for the producer's guild and also gave me a copy. Does yours come in a folding case with bunches and bunches of quotes on it? _________________
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Faithless .
Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 153
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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None of my things came in a briefcase. I'm not a producer. _________________ www.call-to-adventure.com
Don't Refuse. |
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seryogin JRPG Kommissar
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 886 Location: Occupied Stalingrad
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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I was reading Ebert just now, mentally tsk-tsk-ing him for his faults, when I saw that he called "Vengeance is Mine" a great movie I made grimaced and said that the bastard obviously wasn't interested in preasing "Mishima," which is a much finer Ken Ogata-starring movie and a much better film overall. So I clicked into the great movies section and was flabbergasted to see "Mishima" listed as one Ebert's great movies.
Now, at this point I was excited and pissed at having to eat my own words (or in this case, thoughts; even though Ebert has a factual error in almost every sentence and totally makes a fuckton of mistakes regarding Mishima's personality) when I got to the end of the essay and discovered that motherfucking Criterion was giving "Mishima" a re-release!
Folks, I am not the frothing type, but this news made me possitively explode with excitement. I am bit sad to find myself winding down now and not knowing what to do with this post. I guess I'll post it and suggest that everyone watch the movie once it comes out, especially since the old DVD is very rare now (Shaper tried buying it on my suggestion and couldn't locate it). _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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I've not seen it, but I like Phillip Glass's soundtrack for that movie. |
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daphaknee just enemies now
Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 892 Location: YAY AREA
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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roger ebert LOVES babe 2 |
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digi .
Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 49 Location: the Canadas, k-town, The Mission
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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Roger Ebert LOVES No Country for Old Men
guys I really didn't like Ebert at all for a long time until I started reading his post "Mullholland Drive" stuff. i don't necessarily agree with him most of the time, but the man works on the power of brilliant insight, not factual [i.e. ultimately trivial] detailing
read his review of Kore-Eda's "Maborosi" _________________ * Me Profile * Me Blog * Me Photos * |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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You've just put your finger on one of the hallmarks of good critque, there. I hadn't really thought about it before now, but that's something that all people who're writing reviews should aspire to. |
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shrug .
Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 10
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Roger Ebert loves reeling off a (lengthybut frequently inaccurate) plot summary and then saying "I guess this works on its own level" and giving a movie three stars. |
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sediment .
Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 428 Location: SUPERPOWER GEORGIALAND
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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Shuffling back to Old Men...
Chigurh is definitely a clear villain in the film, I mean the first exposure you have to him he calmly strangles a cop and then puts a bolt in an utterly innocent motorist's head.
The closest thing he has to a "good deed" is letting the store clerk live when he correctly calls the coin toss.
The thing is, this is one movie where I can only consider a third party who has relatively little to do with the action anything close to a "hero" - and that's Tommy Lee Jones. A similar film would be maybe Ichi the Killer, where the only halfway decent guy is the crappy cop turned yakuza. It's not so much a movie of black and white, so much as it is grey and grey and black. _________________
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:08 am Post subject: |
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the real villain in no country is moss. he puts everyone he loves in danger because he half-assed his thieving and refused to understand his nature.
anton understands his nature. the tommy lee jones cop understands his nature. moss does not, and thusly everyone suffers. _________________
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