No Country for Old Men
- Thread starter lizavet8
- Start date
I actually saw it this afternoon based on all the good reviews. I enjoyed it but I can see this being one of those movies you either love or hate. I thought it was very well done but I admit I walked out of the theater a little stunned by the ending. I have a newfound respect for Javier Bardem. He is a brilliant actor.
I saw it this weekend. I have mixed emotions about it. I thought the acting was superb but the story is disturbing. I agree with Tiffany about the ending. I keep thinking about the movie and the characters, I guess that's the sign of a successful movie. Has anyone read the book it's based on? Just curious.
I saw it this weekend. I thought the acting was superb but the story is disturbing. I agree with Tiffany about the ending. I keep thinking about the movie and the characters, I guess that's a sign of a successsful movie. Has anyone read the book it's based on? Just curious.
***SPOILER WARNING ON IT!! DONT READ PREVIOUS POST IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!
***
i agree with everyone, that the acting is extremely superb and the content and tone are quite disturbing. i had a few issues with it though, storytelling wise.
i know the original story, as well as the the original script all the way through the casting process, had the main character as a much older man. he was supposed to be the age of the tommy lee jones character, the two of them are supposed to be the "old men" the title refers too. the cohens wanted Brolin senior (the one married to barbra streisand, forget his first name atm). SOMEONE made a monumental mistake and hired the JUNIOR, his son, josh. LOL! they realized this AFTER contracts were already inked. im wondering who can be SO off base to let a mistake like that go! well, once they realized the mistake, and the fact that there was no renegging on it, they had to set the story in 1980 to cater to the fact that their 'vietman vet' was only in his 30s. re-do production design, strike all references to modern times, etc.
as much as i think they made it work, and josh brolin did an absolutely fantastic job, the theme of the story was clearly aimed to apply to older men, especially two counterparts. there's no purpose, no help, no place, no god, for these old veterans of life, look what happens to them. they can only wait to die, or in the case of miles, be killed.
even that was all fine and good for me, i could swallow it. but i felt the storytelling itself was so left of center. there was this HUGE buildup towards some ultimate showdown between miles and chigur- that never happened. they didn't even meet. and to top that all off, they didn't even show us our hero's death. and some scenes aimed more to highlight the theme (tommy lee jones visit to the man in a wheelchair) felt too out of place and far too "literary" for a film, especially one spent in excess of its first hour setting up this creepy chase that just got tighter and tighter.
i dunno, i can absolutely appreciate what they did was this, what they were going for, but i cant say i get the massive hype, other than the acting. javier and josh put on an amazing show of talent, that i gotta say. i can see javier getting a nomination for this one.
***
i agree with everyone, that the acting is extremely superb and the content and tone are quite disturbing. i had a few issues with it though, storytelling wise.
i know the original story, as well as the the original script all the way through the casting process, had the main character as a much older man. he was supposed to be the age of the tommy lee jones character, the two of them are supposed to be the "old men" the title refers too. the cohens wanted Brolin senior (the one married to barbra streisand, forget his first name atm). SOMEONE made a monumental mistake and hired the JUNIOR, his son, josh. LOL! they realized this AFTER contracts were already inked. im wondering who can be SO off base to let a mistake like that go! well, once they realized the mistake, and the fact that there was no renegging on it, they had to set the story in 1980 to cater to the fact that their 'vietman vet' was only in his 30s. re-do production design, strike all references to modern times, etc.
as much as i think they made it work, and josh brolin did an absolutely fantastic job, the theme of the story was clearly aimed to apply to older men, especially two counterparts. there's no purpose, no help, no place, no god, for these old veterans of life, look what happens to them. they can only wait to die, or in the case of miles, be killed.
even that was all fine and good for me, i could swallow it. but i felt the storytelling itself was so left of center. there was this HUGE buildup towards some ultimate showdown between miles and chigur- that never happened. they didn't even meet. and to top that all off, they didn't even show us our hero's death. and some scenes aimed more to highlight the theme (tommy lee jones visit to the man in a wheelchair) felt too out of place and far too "literary" for a film, especially one spent in excess of its first hour setting up this creepy chase that just got tighter and tighter.
i dunno, i can absolutely appreciate what they did was this, what they were going for, but i cant say i get the massive hype, other than the acting. javier and josh put on an amazing show of talent, that i gotta say. i can see javier getting a nomination for this one.
AHHH mods! cani edit my post?!!?
i forgot to put SPOILER WARNING ON IT!! DONT READ PREVIOUS POST IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!
whoops, my bad. maybe ill report my own post to get a spoiler warning added...
i forgot to put SPOILER WARNING ON IT!! DONT READ PREVIOUS POST IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!
whoops, my bad. maybe ill report my own post to get a spoiler warning added...
***SPOILER WARNING ON IT!! DONT READ PREVIOUS POST IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!
***
i agree with everyone, that the acting is extremely superb and the content and tone are quite disturbing. i had a few issues with it though, storytelling wise.
i know the original story, as well as the the original script all the way through the casting process, had the main character as a much older man. he was supposed to be the age of the tommy lee jones character, the two of them are supposed to be the "old men" the title refers too. the cohens wanted Brolin senior (the one married to barbra streisand, forget his first name atm). SOMEONE made a monumental mistake and hired the JUNIOR, his son, josh. LOL! they realized this AFTER contracts were already inked. im wondering who can be SO off base to let a mistake like that go! well, once they realized the mistake, and the fact that there was no renegging on it, they had to set the story in 1980 to cater to the fact that their 'vietman vet' was only in his 30s. re-do production design, strike all references to modern times, etc.
as much as i think they made it work, and josh brolin did an absolutely fantastic job, the theme of the story was clearly aimed to apply to older men, especially two counterparts. there's no purpose, no help, no place, no god, for these old veterans of life, look what happens to them. they can only wait to die, or in the case of miles, be killed.
even that was all fine and good for me, i could swallow it. but i felt the storytelling itself was so left of center. there was this HUGE buildup towards some ultimate showdown between miles and chigur- that never happened. they didn't even meet. and to top that all off, they didn't even show us our hero's death. and some scenes aimed more to highlight the theme (tommy lee jones visit to the man in a wheelchair) felt too out of place and far too "literary" for a film, especially one spent in excess of its first hour setting up this creepy chase that just got tighter and tighter.
i dunno, i can absolutely appreciate what they did was this, what they were going for, but i cant say i get the massive hype, other than the acting. javier and josh put on an amazing show of talent, that i gotta say. i can see javier getting a nomination for this one.
Interesting inside info. The casting confusion really explains the title much better and I too was suprised by the lack of a greater climax between miles and chigur. The denouement had me shaking my head...but it somehow seemed fitting.
Javier and Josh really are great in the movie, would have been interesting to see what James Brolin would have done with it!
i've been wondering the same thing! although this film has made me take notice of what a terrific actor josh brolin is. i must see american gangster, he's in that one as well.
btw, i always have to think twice about the name of the son- james and josh are two names that get so mixed up in my head! lol.
btw, thank you mods for adding that spoiler warning! my bad, i will remember from now on to put them on posts
I read the book before I saw the movie, so I feel that I've lost perspective on what I would have thought if I hadn't.....I can't put my finger on why I thought it was so spectacular beyond the great acting. I think McCarthy does a great job of making us take a look at possible fates of roads less traveled. I read one review that hypothesized that Churrga was in fact not a "real" character, but the hand of fate.
**WARNING SMALL PLOT SPOILER**
I really enjoyed the film with its dialogue especially the scene where Llewelyn's wife refuses to do the coin toss with Javier Bardem's character towards the end. The acting especially Javier's was great. He was so freaky and scary in it! The ending though was a bit disappointing since it felt "unfinished" but I guess that may have been the point.
I really enjoyed the film with its dialogue especially the scene where Llewelyn's wife refuses to do the coin toss with Javier Bardem's character towards the end. The acting especially Javier's was great. He was so freaky and scary in it! The ending though was a bit disappointing since it felt "unfinished" but I guess that may have been the point.
I love when he's in that little country gas station and he calls that old man "friendo"! I really liked this movie, and all the randomness and gore that came with it!
No Country for Old men, at the moment, is my favorite novel and Cormac Mccarthy is my favorite author, although I never got around to finish Suttree like I thought I would. When I get an Amazon Kindle somewhere down the line I'm definitely downloading No Country for Old Men and maybe Suttree and The Road.
To answer some of the questions here, yes, I have read the novel and seen the movie. I saw the movie first, which I absolutely despised after my first viewing. I thought it was overrated. Strolling through the bookstore someday I flipped through the novel and was immediately drawn in after the first chapter.
I sent one boy to the gaschamber at Huntsville. One and only one. My arrest and my testimony. I went up there and visited with him two or three times. Three times. The last time was the day of his execution. I didn't have to go but I did. I sure didn't want to. He'd killed a fourteen year old girl and I can tell you right now I never did have no great desire to visit with him let alone go to his execution but I done it. The papers said it was a crime of passion and he told me there wasnt no passion to it. He'd been datin this girl, young as she was. He was nineteen. And he told me that he had been plannin to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out he'd do it again. Said he knew he was goin to hell. Told it to me out of his own mouth. I dont know what to make of that. I surely dont. I thought I'd never seen a person like that and it got me to wonderin if maybe he was some new kind. I watched them strap him into the seat and shut the door. He might of looked a bit nervous about it but that was about all. I really believe that he knew he was goin to be in hell in fifteen minutes. I believe that. And I've thought about that a lot. He was not hard to talk to. Called me Sheriff. But I didnt know what to say to him. What do you say to a man by his own admission has no soul? Why would you say anything? I've thought about it a good deal. But he wasnt nothin compared to what was comin down the pike.
They say the eys are the windows to the soul. I dont know what them eyes was the windows to and I guess I'd as soon not know. But there is another view of the world out there and other eyes to see it and that's where this is goin. It has done brought me to a place in my life I would not of thought I'd of come to. Somewhere out there is a true and living prophet of destruction and I dont want to confront him. I know he's real. I have seen his work. I walked in front of those eyes once. I wont do it again. I wont push my chips forward and stand up and go out to meet him. It aint just bein older. I wish that it was. I cant say that it's even what you are willin to do. Because I always knew that you had to be willin to die to even do this job. That was always true. Not to sound glorious about it or nothin but you do. If you aint they'll know it. They'll see it in a heartbeat. I think it is more like what you are willin to become. And I think a man would have to put his soul at hazard. And I wont do that. I think now that maybe I never would.
I had my autistic cousin read that chapter to my aunts at a Denny's and we were all stunned. It was powerful. I immediately bought the book after reading that chapter at Borders and have fallen in love ever since.
Watching the movie before reading the book helped a lot. I didn't like the movie with my first viewing, but I'm not sure I would have liked the book without having seen the movie first. That first chapter is Sherriff Bell's narrative, which we receive every other chapter. Because other than that the story is told in a plain third-person narrative. You can hear Tommy Lee Jones sweet southern voice come out of the novel. And these narratives, to a lot of people, was what made the novel. He shares his experiences, and his perspective on how the world was changing.
Having seen the movie several times after reading the novel I realized that the movie was probably never meant to be an adaption of the novel, but rather an accompaniment to it. Because there were certain key scenes that were so dramatically different than from what happened in the novel. And I am speaking about key scenes, such as the encounter between Chigurh and Bell, the various shootouts with Llewlyn and various drug cartels, and most shockingly the final scene between Chigurh and Carla Lean. You will be stunned when you discover the truth of what actually happened.
And I believe the Cohens did this because there is no possible way you can re-create the emotions, the experience, of reading anything that Cormac Mccarthy writes. So they took artistic liberties and made it their own creation. And when looking at it from a further perspective, with the novel in mind, it was a beautifully made film. To this date, I don't believe the Cohens have made a better film. And I know Cormac strongly approved of it.
I strongly recommend downloading the novel to your Kindle/Nook and renting it on Netflix. There's so much to talk about.
To answer some of the questions here, yes, I have read the novel and seen the movie. I saw the movie first, which I absolutely despised after my first viewing. I thought it was overrated. Strolling through the bookstore someday I flipped through the novel and was immediately drawn in after the first chapter.
I sent one boy to the gaschamber at Huntsville. One and only one. My arrest and my testimony. I went up there and visited with him two or three times. Three times. The last time was the day of his execution. I didn't have to go but I did. I sure didn't want to. He'd killed a fourteen year old girl and I can tell you right now I never did have no great desire to visit with him let alone go to his execution but I done it. The papers said it was a crime of passion and he told me there wasnt no passion to it. He'd been datin this girl, young as she was. He was nineteen. And he told me that he had been plannin to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out he'd do it again. Said he knew he was goin to hell. Told it to me out of his own mouth. I dont know what to make of that. I surely dont. I thought I'd never seen a person like that and it got me to wonderin if maybe he was some new kind. I watched them strap him into the seat and shut the door. He might of looked a bit nervous about it but that was about all. I really believe that he knew he was goin to be in hell in fifteen minutes. I believe that. And I've thought about that a lot. He was not hard to talk to. Called me Sheriff. But I didnt know what to say to him. What do you say to a man by his own admission has no soul? Why would you say anything? I've thought about it a good deal. But he wasnt nothin compared to what was comin down the pike.
They say the eys are the windows to the soul. I dont know what them eyes was the windows to and I guess I'd as soon not know. But there is another view of the world out there and other eyes to see it and that's where this is goin. It has done brought me to a place in my life I would not of thought I'd of come to. Somewhere out there is a true and living prophet of destruction and I dont want to confront him. I know he's real. I have seen his work. I walked in front of those eyes once. I wont do it again. I wont push my chips forward and stand up and go out to meet him. It aint just bein older. I wish that it was. I cant say that it's even what you are willin to do. Because I always knew that you had to be willin to die to even do this job. That was always true. Not to sound glorious about it or nothin but you do. If you aint they'll know it. They'll see it in a heartbeat. I think it is more like what you are willin to become. And I think a man would have to put his soul at hazard. And I wont do that. I think now that maybe I never would.
I had my autistic cousin read that chapter to my aunts at a Denny's and we were all stunned. It was powerful. I immediately bought the book after reading that chapter at Borders and have fallen in love ever since.
Watching the movie before reading the book helped a lot. I didn't like the movie with my first viewing, but I'm not sure I would have liked the book without having seen the movie first. That first chapter is Sherriff Bell's narrative, which we receive every other chapter. Because other than that the story is told in a plain third-person narrative. You can hear Tommy Lee Jones sweet southern voice come out of the novel. And these narratives, to a lot of people, was what made the novel. He shares his experiences, and his perspective on how the world was changing.
Having seen the movie several times after reading the novel I realized that the movie was probably never meant to be an adaption of the novel, but rather an accompaniment to it. Because there were certain key scenes that were so dramatically different than from what happened in the novel. And I am speaking about key scenes, such as the encounter between Chigurh and Bell, the various shootouts with Llewlyn and various drug cartels, and most shockingly the final scene between Chigurh and Carla Lean. You will be stunned when you discover the truth of what actually happened.
And I believe the Cohens did this because there is no possible way you can re-create the emotions, the experience, of reading anything that Cormac Mccarthy writes. So they took artistic liberties and made it their own creation. And when looking at it from a further perspective, with the novel in mind, it was a beautifully made film. To this date, I don't believe the Cohens have made a better film. And I know Cormac strongly approved of it.
I strongly recommend downloading the novel to your Kindle/Nook and renting it on Netflix. There's so much to talk about.