No Country for Old Men-The Coen Brothers film

[Van Basten II]

I didn't at all appreciate much of the philosophical ramblings particularly during the last 20 minutes or so of the film especially in light (NO SPOILERS INTENDED) of this viewer's terribly thwarted expectations. Most of the attendees left the theater muttering to one another and more than a few opined to complete strangers the equivalent of WTF???? The ending IMO is enough to kill the commercial appeal of this film by word of mouth.

I would guess that you weren't thrilled about the Sopranos ending either

To me, the ending made sense.

Careful Spoilers please scroll down if you don't want to know anything.

The Tommy Lee Jones character who is the moral character of the story figured out that there was no way he would beat the killer to its own game. So he elected to call it a day instead of going for broke. And could actually to tell the tale.

The moral of the story, don't bite off more than you can chew.

Who knows, maybe they'll do a sequel with the killer. Anton returns

Edited November 21, 2007 by Van Basten II

[MartyJazz]

I had no problem with "the Sopranos" ending. Comparing a 6 year+ TV series that couldn't possibly be neatly tied up in a bow to a 2 hour movie is not valid.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS (Don't read further if you intend to see "No Country......"):

One of the plot problems I had with this film is that the bulk of it is taken up with an intricate, hugely suspense-filled cat and mouse chase between Anton and Moss. All of a sudden, we learn that Moss is taken out, off camera, by a third party. WTF????? We're simply shown Sheriff Bell discovering the body. What then follows is a painfully boring, galling scene of the old man with the cats waxing philosophical for what seemed like an interminable amount of precious screen time. Please! Then, I guess to show the whimsicality of what can happen in this universe, Anton is sideswiped out of nowhere by someone completely unrelated to the story, only to hobble off, I guess, to create some future kind of murderous mayhem. Bell then closes off this disastrous ending of a film with a monolog while sitting at home with the wife. Credits then roll. I have absolutely no desire to read Cormac McCarthy's novel (and I'm a reader) to attempt to understand this ending. Walked out of the theater muttering.

Perhaps the joke is on the viewer. When the deputy earlier in the film says to Bell, "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?"

and he replies, "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here", Bell was actually referring to the ending of the film.

Edited November 21, 2007 by MartyJazz

[BruceH]

I had no problem with "the Sopranos" ending. Comparing a 6 year+ TV series that couldn't possibly be neatly tied up in a bow to a 2 hour movie is not valid.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS (Don't read further if you intend to see "No Country......"):

One of the plot problems I had with this film is that the bulk of it is taken up with an intricate, hugely suspense-filled cat and mouse chase between Anton and Moss. All of a sudden, we learn that Moss is taken out, off camera, by a third party. WTF????? We're simply shown Sheriff Bell discovering the body. What then follows is a painfully boring, galling scene of the old man with the cats waxing philosophical for what seemed like an interminable amount of precious screen time. Please! Then, I guess to show the whimsicality of what can happen in this universe, Anton is sideswiped out of nowhere by someone completely unrelated to the story, only to hobble off, I guess, to create some future kind of murderous mayhem. Bell then closes off this disastrous ending of a film with a monolog while sitting at home with the wife. Credits then roll. I have absolutely no desire to read Cormac McCarthy's novel (and I'm a reader) to attempt to understand this ending. Walked out of the theater muttering.

Perhaps the joke is on the viewer. When the deputy earlier in the film says to Bell, "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?"

and he replies, "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here", Bell was actually referring to the ending of the film.

This a Coen bothers film---of COURSE the joke's on the viewer.

I agree: When Moss is taken out, off-camera, it's a huge cheat. The rest of the film was pretty much crap, excepting perhaps the confrontation between Anton and Moss's wife.

I know that some people will scream that that's the way the novel goes, but since I never read the novel (and now never intend to) I can only judge it as a movie, and frankly any movie based on a novel has to stand or fall by how it functions as a movie. And one conclusion I've reached about the Coens long ago is that they are incapable of simply making a "good movie"---they can't help playing silly, self-referential, post-modern games. Fucking around, in other words. But they've got two-thirds of a good movie here, which is really great for them.

Edited November 23, 2007 by BruceH

[Soulstation1]

homeboy wasn't playing when it came to his $$$$$$$$$$

[andybleaden]

I had no problem with "the Sopranos" ending. Comparing a 6 year+ TV series that couldn't possibly be neatly tied up in a bow to a 2 hour movie is not valid.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS (Don't read further if you intend to see "No Country......"):

One of the plot problems I had with this film is that the bulk of it is taken up with an intricate, hugely suspense-filled cat and mouse chase between Anton and Moss. All of a sudden, we learn that Moss is taken out, off camera, by a third party. WTF????? We're simply shown Sheriff Bell discovering the body. What then follows is a painfully boring, galling scene of the old man with the cats waxing philosophical for what seemed like an interminable amount of precious screen time. Please! Then, I guess to show the whimsicality of what can happen in this universe, Anton is sideswiped out of nowhere by someone completely unrelated to the story, only to hobble off, I guess, to create some future kind of murderous mayhem. Bell then closes off this disastrous ending of a film with a monolog while sitting at home with the wife. Credits then roll. I have absolutely no desire to read Cormac McCarthy's novel (and I'm a reader) to attempt to understand this ending. Walked out of the theater muttering.

Perhaps the joke is on the viewer. When the deputy earlier in the film says to Bell, "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?"

and he replies, "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here", Bell was actually referring to the ending of the film.

This a Coen bothers film---of COURSE the joke's on the viewer.

I agree: When Moss is taken out, off-camera, it's a huge cheat. The rest of the film was pretty much crap, excepting perhaps the confrontation between Anton and Moss's wife.

I know that some people will scream that that's the way the novel goes, but since I never read the novel (and now never intend to) I can only judge it as a movie, and frankly any movie based on a novel has to stand or fall by how it functions as a movie. And one conclusion I've reached about the Coens long ago is that they are incapable of simply making a "good movie"---they can't help playing silly, self-referential, post-modern games. Fucking around, in other words. But they've got two-thirds of a good movie here, which is really great for them.

Now I saw this the other evening on my own

Liked it in general

Bit violent for my liking but that comes with the territory I guess

I did like the way in which one of the main characters was killed off screen..that was different.....

The ending was messed up really for me but again that is my problem I suppose...too much conversation

[Shawn]

I finally got around to this movie about a week ago and think it's brilliant. It reminded me (in tone) of the movie One False Move from years ago (w.Bill Paxton). I had absolutely no problem with the ending, in fact I prefer the type of resolution that makes the audience draw it's own conclusions. I can see why the ending might bother the "mindless multiplex masses".

[jazzbo]

I finally got around to this movie about a week ago and think it's brilliant. It reminded me (in tone) of the movie One False Move from years ago (w.Bill Paxton). I had absolutely no problem with the ending, in fact I prefer the type of resolution that makes the audience draw it's own conclusions. I can see why the ending might bother the "mindless multiplex masses".

I'm with you 100%. After seeing the movie a second time, I read the novel. Really the "current" novel I've most enjoyed reading in the last decade. Has the elements I've truly admired in the work of Jim Thompson, Jim Cain, Dash Hammett etc. and yet was totally its own as well. On top of that it grabbed and held an air that was truly Texan. Not an easy feat, and appreciated.

[Van Basten II]

Rented the DVd for the family, watching the extras, did not know that the character of Carla Jean was played by a Scottish actress, for the Texans in the crowd, did she nailed the accent ? She got me fooled.

[andybleaden]

They (Scots and Texans) sound very alike...think of George W Bush and Billy Connolly for instance

[HolyStitt]

Rented the DVd for the family, watching the extras, did not know that the character of Carla Jean was played by a Scottish actress, for the Texans in the crowd, did she nailed the accent ? She got me fooled.

About 12 years ago she also starred in Trainspotting.

Edited March 26, 2008 by HolyStitt

[AndrewHill]

i saw it last night but i was having stomach problems and was twisting and turning in my seat as i tried to hold in farts and my stomach was knotting into painful cramps and i anticpated getting out of the theater and rocking a monstrous dump and the guy next to me was a loud breather which is a big peeve of mine so by the end i totally lost focus and suddenly it was over and i was confused. the young woman i went with was very moved by the movie but i have no idea what was going on towards the end there. i was watching the movie without seeing anything thinking about my toilet.

Sounds like a Coen movie within a Coen movie.

Just reading what Dumpy Mama said and I found myself cracking up all over again!

[patricia]

For my money, "Miller's Crossing", "Fargo", "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and even I daresay, "The Big Lebowski". are my favorite Coen Brothers endeavors.

Blood Simple, IMO, is still among the best the Coen brothers have done. M. Emmet Walsh is one of my favourite character actors and he was perfect in his role as was John Getz.

[PHILLYQ]

For my money, "Miller's Crossing", "Fargo", "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and even I daresay, "The Big Lebowski". are my favorite Coen Brothers endeavors.

Blood Simple, IMO, is still among the best the Coen brothers have done. M. Emmet Walsh is one of my favourite character actors and he was perfect in his role as was John Getz.

I loved 'the Man Who wasn't There", Billy Bob Thornton was great in it.

[Big Al]

I had no problem with "the Sopranos" ending. Comparing a 6 year+ TV series that couldn't possibly be neatly tied up in a bow to a 2 hour movie is not valid.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS (Don't read further if you intend to see "No Country......"):

One of the plot problems I had with this film is that the bulk of it is taken up with an intricate, hugely suspense-filled cat and mouse chase between Anton and Moss. All of a sudden, we learn that Moss is taken out, off camera, by a third party. WTF????? We're simply shown Sheriff Bell discovering the body. What then follows is a painfully boring, galling scene of the old man with the cats waxing philosophical for what seemed like an interminable amount of precious screen time. Please! Then, I guess to show the whimsicality of what can happen in this universe, Anton is sideswiped out of nowhere by someone completely unrelated to the story, only to hobble off, I guess, to create some future kind of murderous mayhem. Bell then closes off this disastrous ending of a film with a monolog while sitting at home with the wife. Credits then roll. I have absolutely no desire to read Cormac McCarthy's novel (and I'm a reader) to attempt to understand this ending. Walked out of the theater muttering.

Perhaps the joke is on the viewer. When the deputy earlier in the film says to Bell, "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?"

and he replies, "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here", Bell was actually referring to the ending of the film.

Just saw it for the first time and have been looking for the right words to express my feelings about this picture. Thank you, Marty: your review was spot-on and I agree 100%! I haven't felt this cheated by a film since "The Departed." And BOTH of these won Best Picture????

[T.D.]

Recently saw this for the first time (via Netflix) and thought it was excellent. It motivated me to read the book (hadn't read any McCarthy since All the Pretty Horses), which was even better (IMO). I'd put the film in the upper tier of Coen bros. work, and will read more McCarthy, who previously hadn't impressed me so much.