No Country for Old Men review

Enough about video games. Let's talk about movies for a change. It's been a while.

I finally got a chance to catch No Country for Old Men, the most recently hyped "masterpiece" from the ever lovable Coen brothers. After a 45 minutes trek to the nearest movie theater, I'm still debating on if it was worth all the hype it has received.

Basically, the film is broken up into two parts. There is the first 4/5 of the film which features probably the absolute best and well paced build up I have ever seen in a film. That is no lie. The film moves at an absolute snails pace, which actually works in its favor allowing more character to develop and viewers to become involved with its hero. For a film that moves as slow as this, it still remains intense and bone chilling down to the core. The film features one of the most simplistic gun fights I have ever seen, and yet the skill and timing the Coen brothers put into it makes it appear to be much more epic that it actually is. The whole film is littered with scenes like this. In between all the slow gazings and landscape shots, the film has these quick bursts of absolute brilliant action.

The films three main characters also deliver some of the best characters in recent memory as well. Josh Brolin is the absolute man in this film. This seemingly simple Texas redneck just somehow always knows exactly what to do when escaping from the most hopeless of situations, and he is easily one of the best crowd rousing characters ever seen on the big screen. Javier Bardem is also set to become a huge breakout after this film as well. His tall stature, horrific face, and perfect voice make him one of the most unforgettable film villains of all time. Plus, his gun is damn awesome as well.

Tommy Lee Jones is the missing link here. His role is enjoyable and his ramblings about mostly nothing and his approaches to a crime scene are very reminiscent of Franid McDormand's character in Fargo. Each of these ramblings deal with the films idea that everything is changing from the way we slaughter cows to the way we deal drugs. His character seems almost in no way attached to the plot, always arriving late and never actually interacting with any of the other lead characters, save Brolin's wife. At the same time, it can be argued he is the main character of the film, and that everything revolves around him even if he's not there to witness it. His storyline has conflict, a climax, and a resolution, unlike the Brolin storyline which has no climax and no resolution. The film is misleading as Brolin's conflict is actually nothing more than a subplot to Tommy Lee Jones' ordeal. A certain unmissable transition in the film shows this.

Of course, this is the whole point of the film. Like with most directors similar to the Coens, it's not about watching incredible action and perfect direction, but to deliver a message. *yawn* Tommy Lee Jones is an old man, and the countries' problems simply has moved on a ahead of him. His morals don't match, he could have resolved the film, but he didn't want to because he felt outmatched and boom...there it is in a nutshell. Not exactly brain surgery.

Unfortunately, delivering this message is where the film falls flat on its face. About 4/5's of the way into the film, the most unexpected change in direction occurs, and the film just goes absolutely downhill. Tommy Lee Jones suddenly gets a lot more screen time, and rather than the satisfactory ending which could have made this film one of the greatest ever made, it becomes a rant fest of dialogs filled to the brim with "whoa is me" and "this country is too much for us." It's enough sugar text to make one puke. The thrill ride stops. Everything just comes to a complete pause while we listen to people whine and whine and whine until the film blacks out and everyone just says "awww Christ". The Coen brothers take the most perfectly crafted film and decide to get pretentious. They turn the film into every casual viewer's nightmare, every art house snob's wet dream, and leave all of us guys in the middle totally hanging without knowing our feelings.

The book probably had a similar ending, here's the rundown. No Country for Old Men is a classic story of a crowd pleasing good guy versus a ruthless bad guy who is evil down to his core. It's a very simple plot used countless times, and in each of those times we get a predictable ending in some way or another. But, despite it being predictable and cliche, it is the right ending because that is what people want to see in a film like this. This is an action film. One of the best and most original ever made. It's NOT an art house film. You can argue to the brim that it could be, but you are just wrong. There was nothing deep in this film until the script forces depth upon us way to late. I've seen many great films blow it all in the last few minutes because the directors try to do something different, but this one seriously takes the cake as the worst. The Coen brothers are famous for films with and open ending, and this film could have had one without a doubt. But the way it was handled...all the momentum, all the character, everything that made the film special just stops, and I can guarantee that there won't be an audience in America that will just groan when the credits roll.

The problem is the film was just to dawn awesome for its own good to deliver this message. The "sub plot" was just so thrilling, entertaining, and perfectly made that the message just doesn't seem to matter. The "main plot" is boring. Nobody wants to see a film about an old cop who is two steps behind the most intense action ever made. When Tommy Lee Jones takes over, you don't want the sub plot to end. I found myself hopelessly hoping that it would find its way back into the film, but it doesn't. When the sub plot ends, all we are left with just the thoughts of an old man questioning is role in the world and it's fatal to the film.

Coen brothers...I understand you had a point with this film, and I got it. It wasn't hard, so stop thinking you are a genius if you understood. But if you want to piss people off, do it on your own time. You wasted a hell of an opportunity with this one. You might appeal to the self appointed film-buffs with your horse crap, but there are countless ways you could have kept the spirit of the film alive, had the same events roll out, and STILL got what you had to say out there. You're not cool for breaking the plot pyramid. You're just mean. You took the asshole way out and made a film only the most conceited of us could possibly enjoy and created the most unsatisfactory ending in the history of film.

I say go see this film. Enjoy every second of the masterful direction and acting until "El Paso." Then expect to leave the theater pissed off.