JPF Home Page Forums Creative Arts Forums Acting, Theater, Film and TV Forum "G-A-C" Review: "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN"/T.Lee Jones/Josh Brolin

Filmed in some of the Scrubbiest backlands (& Small Towns) of The West (NM & Texas) this movie starts off with trailer-park Welder-Guy (Josh Brolin as Llewelyn Moss) out in the Boonies, sighting-in on a Pronghorn Antelope. His Target limps-away over a Ridge & Llewelyn goes off in Slow-Pursuit.

What he finds on the other side of the ridge makes "The Hunter" into "The Hunted", & the rest of the movie focuses on his Survival Skills..& what becomes of the Multi-Million in drug money he retrieves from the body of a dead Local Bandito.

Several "Layers" of PROFESSIONAL Bad Guys then join in The Pursuit of Recouping The Loss... The First is probably the EVILEST S.O.B you've ever seen on Celuliod, Armed with a funky Pneumatic Death-Dealin'-Shootin'-Iron the likes of which I dunno even EXISTS! Fantasticaly-Played (Javier Bardem as Anton Aigurch) this Elvis-y Hairdo-ed/Johnny Cash-Clad Baddie FINDS YOU & SHOOTS YOU (& your Door Locks Out) with his tank of Compressed-Air..sometimes because it's His Job, sometimes because You LOST The Coin Toss (& ALL the time because..heh..He's Just-Plain-CRAZY!)

When the Big City Honcho behind this Psycho-Killer/ Money-Retriever gets nervous about the trail of Innocent (& some Guilty..Mid-Level Management) Blood that Aigurch leaves along his way, he hires Woody Harrelson (as Carson Welles) to clean up the mess & permanently take Aigurch "Off The Case". But.."Nice Guys Don't ALWAYS Finish First"..so get used to it, Viewers..(& you will!)

At the edges of this drama you'll see Tommy Lee Jones giving a Super-Respectable Performance as a Small-town Sheriff, Ed Tom Bell, gettin' ready to hang up his Career. The Bad Guys are gettin' too numerous & ornery Around These Parts...But he's gonna go-down-tryin' to save Llewelyn and his sweet Un-Suspectin' Wife (Kelly McDonald as Carla Jean Moss).

This movie lives up to its title, is both Terrifying and Thoroughly-Exciting Drama. IMO, tho, The Ending Sucks. BUT I seriously doubt you'll ask for your money back, (& let's hope maybe A Sequel might iron-out the Kinks?)

"7-Outta-10" for View-Worthy-ness...(Coulda EASILY been an "8" or a "9", with the (Yeah it's "Cliched") "High Noon"-ish Ending we're all used-to. But..Joel & Ethan Cohen Wrote/Directed this, it's been hailed as "A Classic"...so get used to it.

EXTREME Shoot-'Em-Up Violence. Leave the kiddies at-home, safely tucked-in their bed(s). Give your Local Cops a Hug, DON'T pick up any Briefcases..& Avoid Hitchhikers (& Bad Elvis Hairdos) for the Rest of Your Life..heh-heh!

JMO..(Keep or Sweep-it!)

Big Hugs
Stan

PS: Bardem got a "Golden Globe" for his Acting in the Bad Guy Role here..& definitely Earned It!

I have to give this a 9 out of ten and it's clearly one of the 2 best movies I've seen this year (along with The Bourne Supremacy). Oh.. and you should add "SPOILER ALERT" to the top of your review Stan, as you give away a bit too much I think.. it's better to let it unroll for the first time while watching the movie...

Brian

HiDee Big Bro Brian, Amigo!

I've been More-Careful "What I've Revealed" ever since ya mentioned I'd given away the Farm on a Previous Write. I've not revealed more than the Trailer Has-Already here..tho, yep, in fairness to The Readership, I felt The Ending needed a Bit More Resolving for Folks to Get Their Moneys-worth. Or a "9-outta-10".

Just viewed "There Will Be Blood" last night...BET you like it Even MORE than this one...BECAUSE it DOES resolve most ALL the Issues it Raises. It's also set in the Western Scrublands..Quite Gritty..plenty of Life-&-Death Decisions-Made..Murders..Quests for Wealth at near-Any-Cost. Plenty of "Parallels"...& for me, it's Worthy of a "9-outta-10"...tho I've yet to pen The Review/might change my mind in-process.

But...I DID point out WHY I felt NCFOM was Shy-of-Near-Perfection..&..I'll prolly grouse about a few "nits" on "There Will Be Blood" too..(Like I feel Christians should be Forewarned it's gonna give 'em a Major Kick in The Pants.)

Should I pen in "Spoiler Alert" for that detail? I won't...but do feel it's Just Doin' My Job as a Critic to mention the fact Up Front.

As for my "Rating System", anything above a "6" I'd classify as Sufficiently-Entertaining. "7"..Better-than-Sufficiently. "8"..a Real-Good Night Out. "9"..a Great Night Out "10"..an Absolute Classic, Don't Miss It!

I've also "Hedged" a Rating more than once...KNOWING My Taste isn't Everyone's, and I'm NOT the World Authority on anything.

And..I Appreciate your Checking In when I've perhaps Erred..or not seen the same Merits in a Film you Favored. (The more Commentary, the More Tickets They Sell, as folks get Interested.)

Win-Win, every time!

Thanks Amigo!

Big Guy-Hug,
Stan