26 February 2008

No Country

Jenna and I went to see No Country for Old Men tonight, because we had heard it was playing, and that it was good. I haven't decided yet if it's going to grow on me or not. Maybe I'll know in a few weeks.
The one thing that will stand out to me over the next few days is that Javier Bardem's character (Anton Chugrin) is creepy. He is a psychopath who kills even if he doesn't have a logical reason (though the reason is logical enough to him). The hairstyle he sports doesn't help. A mustache would have put him over the top.
The Coen brothers certainly managed to keep their humor in what is a dark story. I found myself laughing at much of the dialogue. Not necessarily because it was comedic in itself, but because some of the conversations had a strange comedic value when held up alongside the violence.
Worth seeing? If you haven't, the DVD is coming out in a couple of weeks. If you don't like graphic violence, don't see it. My recommendation? I'll abstain from one either way; I'm still not sure.

2 comments:

Allison said...

Although I've heard good things about this, I don't know if I can handle the violence. This might not be for me.

But I've heard the themes are quite redemptive. What did you think?

Jen said...

Themes, schmemes. The film is certainly well-made (I challenge the Coen brothers to make one that isn't), but the redemptive value of Tommy Lee Jones's character pales beside Javier Bardem's Chugrin. Any hint at redemption is left unresolved at the end of the film.
If I were you, I'd go with the book. Cormac McCarthy wrote it. I will probably read it as well.