Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 263

innerSpaceman · 11-18-2007, 10:33 AM

No County for Old Men is vastly overrated.

There, I've said it.

My least favorite Cohen Brothers movie ever. Not without its qualities, but the hullabaloo is greatly out of proportion to them, imho.

Alex · 11-18-2007, 03:14 PM

Sorry you didn't like it (especially if I was part of tipping you to see it with your limited theater time availability right now), but I probably couldn't disagree more. In fact, I'll probably go see it again in the theater because I simply need to see it again. Something which I don't know that I've ever done before (if I see a movie twice in theater it is always because I am accompanying someone who's not seen it).

Stan4dSteph · 11-18-2007, 05:58 PM

Saw Into the Wild this afternoon. I thought it was very well done. I haven't read the book, but now I will probably make an effort to do that. I'm not sure what I think of Alex as a person. He certainly seemed to have an impact on the people he came across in his travels, but ultimately he left them all behind and didn't realize what he was missing until it was too late.

Alex · 11-18-2007, 06:05 PM

I haven't seen the movie, nor read the book.

But we were up in Alaska a couple weeks before the movie opened and Penn had just announced they would premier it up in Fairbanks, so it was a pretty steady topic of conversation in the various local papers.

It was interesting to see the contrast between how it appeared the movie would portray him and the local perception. Alaskans (at least those talking about it in newspapers) seem to pretty consistently view him as an idiot of the highest order.

Still interested in the movie but at this point it looks like it will wait for DVD.

Stan4dSteph · 11-19-2007, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I haven't seen the movie, nor read the book.

But we were up in Alaska a couple weeks before the movie opened and Penn had just announced they would premier it up in Fairbanks, so it was a pretty steady topic of conversation in the various local papers.

It was interesting to see the contrast between how it appeared the movie would portray him and the local perception. Alaskans (at least those talking about it in newspapers) seem to pretty consistently view him as an idiot of the highest order.

Still interested in the movie but at this point it looks like it will wait for DVD.

I can definitely see how he would be viewed that way by locals. He was not very well prepared for what he would encounter, and in the end it was his undoing. I can imagine they see way too many of those types pass through.

innerSpaceman · 11-19-2007, 08:16 AM

just fyi ... it's not that I didn't like No County for Old Men. I was entertained throughout, and I have been thinking about the movie a lot since I've seen it ... generally a good sign of "liking." Rather, I found it unsatisfying.

Alex · 11-19-2007, 09:55 AM

The ending or something more fundamental throughout?

innerSpaceman · 11-19-2007, 01:25 PM

Primarily the ending. Not that I was expecting good to triumph over evil, but to have Tommy Lee Jone's character be so central thoughout to the apparent theme, I just hated him feel out-matched enough to retire without really ever having been close to being on the trail of the creepiest killer in film history.

I liked the quasi-karmic car accident that also sorta ended the film, but the Jones character reached such such a dead-end that I felt conned somehow.

I was also disappointed that the film was a straight-drama disturba, without any of the wry wit and vaguely comic viewport of violent criminality that I'd come to expect from the Cohen Brothers and which I hoped would be at least minimally evident in this film.

Like I said, though ... I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

Gemini Cricket · 11-19-2007, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

For me, that's the sign of a really good film. Or a reaaalllly bad one....

Alex · 11-19-2007, 02:14 PM

The whole movie, in my opinion, is about that ending (and I don't want to spoil in this general thread so here we go):

Spoiler:

Anyway, the ending worked perfectly for what I was taking from the movie. It'll be interesting to see if your thinking on it shifts as it has time to settle or you see it again.

11-18-2007, 10:33 AM	#2621
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	No County for Old Men is vastly overrated. There, I've said it. My least favorite Cohen Brothers movie ever. Not without its qualities, but the hullabaloo is greatly out of proportion to them, imho.
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11-18-2007, 03:14 PM	#2622
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Sorry you didn't like it (especially if I was part of tipping you to see it with your limited theater time availability right now), but I probably couldn't disagree more. In fact, I'll probably go see it again in the theater because I simply need to see it again. Something which I don't know that I've ever done before (if I see a movie twice in theater it is always because I am accompanying someone who's not seen it).
	Submit to Quotes

11-18-2007, 05:58 PM	#2623
Stan4dSteph Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,156	Saw Into the Wild this afternoon. I thought it was very well done. I haven't read the book, but now I will probably make an effort to do that. I'm not sure what I think of Alex as a person. He certainly seemed to have an impact on the people he came across in his travels, but ultimately he left them all behind and didn't realize what he was missing until it was too late.
	Submit to Quotes

11-18-2007, 06:05 PM	#2624
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I haven't seen the movie, nor read the book. But we were up in Alaska a couple weeks before the movie opened and Penn had just announced they would premier it up in Fairbanks, so it was a pretty steady topic of conversation in the various local papers. It was interesting to see the contrast between how it appeared the movie would portray him and the local perception. Alaskans (at least those talking about it in newspapers) seem to pretty consistently view him as an idiot of the highest order. Still interested in the movie but at this point it looks like it will wait for DVD.
	Submit to Quotes

11-19-2007, 08:16 AM	#2626
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	just fyi ... it's not that I didn't like No County for Old Men. I was entertained throughout, and I have been thinking about the movie a lot since I've seen it ... generally a good sign of "liking." Rather, I found it unsatisfying.
	Submit to Quotes

11-19-2007, 09:55 AM	#2627
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	The ending or something more fundamental throughout?
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11-19-2007, 01:25 PM	#2628
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Primarily the ending. Not that I was expecting good to triumph over evil, but to have Tommy Lee Jone's character be so central thoughout to the apparent theme, I just hated him feel out-matched enough to retire without really ever having been close to being on the trail of the creepiest killer in film history. I liked the quasi-karmic car accident that also sorta ended the film, but the Jones character reached such such a dead-end that I felt conned somehow. I was also disappointed that the film was a straight-drama disturba, without any of the wry wit and vaguely comic viewport of violent criminality that I'd come to expect from the Cohen Brothers and which I hoped would be at least minimally evident in this film. Like I said, though ... I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
	Submit to Quotes

11-19-2007, 02:14 PM	#2630
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	The whole movie, in my opinion, is about that ending (and I don't want to spoil in this general thread so here we go): Spoiler: For me, while the cat-and-mouse of Brolin-Bardem is what is happening in the movie, the despair of Tommy Lee Jones is what the movie is about. While Jones is a commentator (a "Greek chorus" as I've seen several people say) he isn't a actor within the events of the story. It is no longer "a country for old men." A new violent age is dawning and with an inevitable grinding action you either stand up to it and get taken down or you step out of the way and admit defeat. That is one reason I want to see it again. I need to hear Jones's opening narration again. And then also see once more the exact presentation of what is happening when Jones enters the hotel room following Brolin's demise. Anyway, the ending worked perfectly for what I was taking from the movie. It'll be interesting to see if your thinking on it shifts as it has time to settle or you see it again.
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