Sarai ([info]chiklita) wrote,
@ 2009-06-30 23:25:00
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Entry tags:movie reviews, movies

No Country For Old Men
I had no idea what this movie was about. I didn't watch the trailer, I didn't read the synopsis on IMDB like I usually do, and I didn't even know it was set in Texas. All I knew was that people talked about it at the academy awards and there was a huge buzz. So I checked it out. And it was a complete. mindfuck.

This movie should have been called Three Guys Chasing Each Other because that's what it was. The action/plot began immediately and I was totally not prepared for what was going to happen. I couldn't look away, though. The main characters were a local sheriff (the good guy), the innocent Texan who stumbled upon 2 million dollars and stole it from the site of a drug deal gone bad where everyone died (the not-good not-bad guy), and the assassin trying to find the Texan and get the money (the bad guy).


The not-bad not-good guy
 
I don't blame this guy. If I stumbled upon 2 million dollars, and everyone who would claim it is dead, I would take the money and haul ass. If someone were to come after me and try to take the money that I stole in order to build a better life for myself and my wife, I would try to run and survive, which is what this guy did. It helped that he served in the war (the movie is set in the early 80's) and he knew what he was doing most of the time.
 

The good guy
  
Meanwhile, this guy, who is quite wise and smart for a local sheriff, is trying to protect the not-good not-bad guy because he's in deep shit and has no idea just how deep. Most of the time the sheriff doesn't make sense, and he stays out of things mostly, but we find out a lot of the story through him. However, my favorite person was the bad guy (as usual):


The bad guy
 
This guy is clearly a psychopath, although we don't know why. He has his own set of rules that I just couldn't understand. I could not figure this guy out. At all. Every time I thought I had an idea and could maybe predict his next move, I was completely off and he would surprise me, again. His entire character was creepy--the hair, the way he spoke, the way he walked, his weapon of choice... which, btw, I've never seen before. This bad guy doesn't use just any gun, he uses something else. And it's disturbing.

The movie is quite graphic in some parts, and it never got boring. The ending was sad, but predictable in a way. Except for one part-- the bad guy never gets caught. He just comes in, shoots everyone, and leaves. But not before he gets in a car accident and buys a shirt off a kid. I mean what? Why? I don't get it.

I've never seen anything like it, and maybe that's what the buzz is about. It's different, impossible to figure out, and entertaining, albeit weird.

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[info]gryn
2009-07-01 07:13 am UTC (link)
One of the reasons I liked this movie is *because* the bad guy got away. I also like the movie Se7en (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/). The bad guy didn't get away, but I finally got to see a movie that didn't have a happy ending. Se7en definitely was not a feel-good movie at all. =)

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-01 03:01 pm UTC (link)
I didn't think about that. I saw Se7en and I was shocked that there wasn't some sort of happy ending, but it made it different, which is nice.

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-01 10:45 am UTC (link)
I thought about the car accident as a sort of kick in the ass for the bad guy. I guess I think of it as the Coens' way of demonstrating to you that while the bad guy may stay out of the grasp out of the long arm of the law, he is still mortal. It may just be that no one can find him, no one can hold him, and no one can escape him, but the universe is no one. I actually think I like that part the most about the movie, and in fact had forgotten about it until I was watching the ending again the other day just because it was on and I have a crush on Josh Brolin. I just love that after all of the shit this guy avoids, it's just some faceless guy who runs a red light that manages to hurt him the most. It's a classic case of Alanis Morissette-type Irony. I guess the point is that in man vs. man, Anton Chigurh always wins. But in man vs. nature, the playing field is even and he is as likely to win as he is to lose. Actually, no. He will lose, because everybody dies, sooner or later.

I guess I didn't think it was worthy of the 2008 Oscar, though. Good, yes...but better than There Will Be Blood, not in a million years. I mean the plot was basically "let's watch these guys chase each other around for two hours." It could be exciting and thrilling depending on who you are I guess, and I do like that this movie doesn't really attempt to feign depth in order to cover up that it's just a bunch of guys chasing each other, but it's not the greatest thing I've ever seen.

Still, funny this post should just pop up here, because my friend and I were talking about how hilarious it would be to attempt to stage a re-enactment of this movie in a public place. I am hellbent on coming with some really bizarre scheme that can be played out on my university campus and so far, I think this one is the funniest, if for nothing but that most of the people who witnessed it probably wouldn't get it, but the occasional person would. I also like the idea of trying to buy a stranger's shirt in the student union or something.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-01 03:02 pm UTC (link)
This makes a lot of sense. I love that this movie makes you think days after watching it. I can appreciate the irony.

I didn't think it was Oscar worthy either, but I haven't seen There Will Be Blood. I shall add that to my queue.

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-01 10:07 pm UTC (link)
You know, until the other day, I had never really thought about it twice until the other day. But you gotta see There Will Be Blood. It's unlike any movie I ever saw before. It's so different...and uh, so totally pimp.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-01 11:11 pm UTC (link)
I totally added it to my queue. Mostly because you said it was totally pimp.

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-01 11:20 pm UTC (link)
You won't be sorry. I can't believe it actually exists sometimes. I can't explain it...it's such a unique movie. The music is crazy, the characters are dramatic and spectacular pieces of work, and the answers aren't all spelled out for you. And most importantly, the milkshake speech. Oh man.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-02 02:06 am UTC (link)
I saw the DVD cover and it looked creepy vintage~ I'm totally intrigued, I love that you've shown me this tbh.

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-02 02:30 am UTC (link)
The special edition cover is one of my favorite ever. Maybe after the special edition of Moulin Rouge. Anyway I hope you like it. There was this community for it, holymilkshakes, which isn't really active anymore but it reminds me of ontd_st which is great because it's not the sort of movie you would expect to turn cult favorite but it did. It's really such an extraordinary thing.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-02 02:36 am UTC (link)
I'll totally "review" it here after I watch it :D

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-02 02:44 am UTC (link)
Thus providing me with the opportunity to quote I excessively and whip out some animated gifs! It will be truly glorious.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-02 02:54 am UTC (link)
Heck yeah, it's always fun to discuss movies with people on my friends list. I wish I could do it more often, actually.

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[info]doubtful_salmon
2009-07-02 06:11 am UTC (link)
Well now you have me, and movies are about all I can discuss. That, and television. If it has nothing to do with either of those things, I probably know nothing about it.

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[info]virulencia
2009-07-02 10:21 pm UTC (link)
Because of this post, I actually watched the movie. I've heard in the past that this was a great film, I just never got the chance until now when they showed it on Starz or Encore (I forgot which channel).

I give this movie 5 stars. By the way, the wife of the not-so-bad-and-not-so-good guy was killed, right? I'm guessing she was, because the psychopath checked his shoes before walking off.

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[info]chiklita
2009-07-03 02:00 am UTC (link)
I guessed the same thing!

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[info]msm00nlight
2009-07-04 01:14 pm UTC (link)
Tommy Lee Jones is probably my favorite actor. Ever.

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