No Country for Old Men [Blu-ray]

Buy This Item No Country for Old Men [Blu-ray] by WALT DISNEY VIDEO  Available from Amazon  $23.95  on 8-26-2008     Miramax No Country For Old Men (Blu-ray) Reader Reviews When an A student comes home with a C- it's a lot more disappointing than when a C student comes home with a D. From the very beginning, the Coen brothers have been in my personal pantheon of favorite writer/directors - even their failures are better than the successes of lesser practitioners. Coen brother films could be relied upon for sturdy craftsmanship, memorable characters, keen intelligence, dry - even lethal - wit, and the ability to dance easily between the absurd and the vividly authentic. Even lesser films like The Big Lebowski (very dumb) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (ham-fisted) stood head and shoulders above everyday Hollywood fare. That's why it's so ironic the Academy swooned over NCFOM, the worst movie these two prodigies have produced. Unlike so many of their contemporaries, the Coen brothers never succumbed to the style-over-content trap - until now. For them, character always drove plot, protagonists were interesting and well drawn - not to say quirky. The gushing over this film's first act, with its lovely desert footage, elegant pacing, and atmosphere - conveniently glosses over the complete lack of action - or point. Llewelyn Moss, Josh Brolin, stumbles over a drug deal gone bad and unwisely takes the money he finds. (Brolin is actually quite good as a doomed idiot.) This act prompts what some would describe as action, or story. Tommy Lee Jones essentially channels himself as aging Sheriff, Ed Tom Bell. While his hangdog expression - painted on a face resembling 40 miles of bad road - "says" that the violence of this day is beyond his comprehension, the story does not. That's a pity - since that is allegedly the film's theme. TLJ moping doth not a movie make. Coen brothers films are always characterized by black comedy - think back to the white glove and knife in Blood Simple. One must wonder what happened to their sense of humor. NCFOM is devoid of irony, wit, or even the ability to poke fun at its own pompousness. Woody Harrelson's pointless stroll through the scenery might have been intended as funny, I hope not; it's dreary filler that arrives when the film is already dragging. More egregious still is the body count. The Coen brothers have certainly killed off quite a few characters over the years, but in the past there was always a reason, it was integral to the plot. The killing in NCFOM is relentless, pointless, and repulsive. Apologists would say; this IS the point, the merciless, unending nature of violence. My response is that this is a movie, not a philosophical debate. The moment you have symbols instead of protagonists, you're in trouble. Which brings us inevitably to Anton Chigiurh, played by Javier Bardem. Mr. Bardem must get points for not giggling while sporting his ludicrous haircut. But the Academy was just flat-out wrong. His character is one-dimensional and his performance is one-dimensional - at least Bergman had the creativity to put Death in a Speedo and cape. The celebrated "coin-toss" scene is indeed wonderful, but it's a very small moment of excellence in a large, arid landscape. O Coen Brothers, Where Art Thou?

No Country for Old Men [Blu-ray] Available from Amazon Price: $23.95 Updated on 8-26-2008.

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