Movie Review: No Country for Old Men
Movies November 26th. 2007, 1:41pm
For about 90 minutes, we were riveted. You know how Wedding Crashers and Old School are incredible for the first 90 minutes, and then kind of limp to the finish? Consider No Country for Old Men the crime/thriller version of those comedies. Except this was much worse. Even more dreadful than – dare we say it – War of the Worlds, which was captivating until Tim Robbins showed up and the movie turned to garbage. We understand how it is virtually impossible to close a sci-fi/horror flick with a remotely cool ending. But a thriller that starts with 90 minutes of edge-of-your-seat-action? Come on! The Coen Brothers (wrote and directed) absolutely butchered the final 40 minutes. At first we were incredulous at the turn of events … but then the movie just kept plummeting in a downward spiral, kind of like Enron’s stock or the Gamecocks’ season. There is entirely too much awful dialogue featuring Tommy Lee Jones and other old people. The Coens tried to get artsy; instead, the movie fell flat on its face. On the plus side … Javier Bardem is a menacing fellow who, with this performance, solidified his career as a lifelong bad guy. Also, the gun he uses is wicked cool. We were all set to give this movie two stars based on a strong start … but the title is terrible, so we’ll go with 1.5 with a recommendation to see it … only so you can come on here and tell us how you’d end it. Three weeks until I Am Legend comes out, so there’s that.
No Country for Old Men Review (Salon)
Hunting Grounds (New Yorker)
68 Responses to “Movie Review: No Country for Old Men”
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November 26th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
at least this was a pretty faithful adaptation of the book, whereas i am legend sure wont be considering there is a sequel in the works and in the book he kills himself
November 26th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I agree that the ending was a mess. My friend actually exclaimed, “What the f*ck” when the credits rolled. Great premise, but honestly, I have no clue how it could end. They painted themselves into a corner with some of the plot choices in the last third of the film.
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I’ll hold off on suggested endings for now. You should do a follow-up post in a week or so to make sure we avoid spoilers here.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I’m curious how it compares to the book.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve talked to 3 or 4 folks who fancy themselves as something of a critic. Every single one of them loved it, but said most folks in the theater came out confused/disgruntled over the ending. It’s the Coen brothers, and I don’t think they’ve made a bad movie yet, so I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and check it out, assuming I can free up a few hours sometime. Interested to see what others think about it…
November 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
if you liked FARGO, than you will like this flick
November 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
“The Coens tried to get artsy…’
Well, that is what they do.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
As a Gamecock fan and someone who has not seen this movie, I can assure you there is no way this movie sucks as much as the Gamecocks.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
every movie can’t end like Eraser with a shootout and Jimmy Caan getting hit by a train. just accept that.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
1.5 stars and you still recommend? Is this based on a 2 star system?
Anyway, saw it over the weekend: at first I wasn’t crazy about it, but the more I thought about it, I liked it.
The title of the movie is important; it goes hand-in-hand with the opening monologue by Tommy Lee Jones. You must pay attention to the beginning to understand the point of the movie. It ties in to the conversation he has with his Uncle. Also, the final scene kicked total ass.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I had problems with the end of the movie (essentially the last 25 minutes or so). I loved everything about it up until the gigantic narrative shift. They follow the action closely for the entire movie, then they completely ignore the climactic scene, instead jumping over it and landing at the conclusion of that scene. It was very frustrating to say the least.
It’s not that I had any problem with how the story ended, I was fine with that. My problem was with the way the entire narrative of the movie switched, which in turn meant the most interesting part of the movie was ignored.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
This is a really great film, although jeff is right; when I saw it this weekend, there seemed to be several people complaining upon leaving that they “didn’t get it”, whatever that might mean. Can’t imagine what’s not to get, but there you go.
And as much as I enjoy The Big Lead, the review above confirms my initial reaction: it is a brilliant film.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Yeah, stupid thinky movies!
November 26th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
This movie was breathtaking and haunting. Just an insanely intense film. All in all brilliant.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
jhjohns23 summed up my thoughts pretty well. The first 2/3 of the movie I would give a 10 out of 10. Perfect. Just great. Then the movie shifts, they try too hard to be different, and it just ruins what they had done so well and achieved in the majority of the movie. It’s a shame, because the first 2/3 is so good. The ending doesn’t ruin it per se, but it is really hard to overlook in my eyes.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
You mean the narrative at the end kicked ass? Just put a big SPOILER in front of your comment and tell me how/why this kicked ass. I cannot think of one reason.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
TBL, you are comically retarded.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Agree with most of the commenters. I really liked it, including the ending. I wish they would have showed the crucial death scene, so we could have gotten some closure on that character, but the overall premise of the ending I think was perfect. That’s the way it had to be. The execution might not have been perfect but the result was flawless. There’s no way anyone who died could or should have lived. They didn’t deserve to, except maybe the last person. That’s a gray area. And there’s no way anyone who lived could or should have died; there would have been no closure. It was a little heavy on the Tommy Lee Jones, I’ll agree with that, but I didn’t mind the scene with his uncle. That was pretty crucial. Especially when you tie it in with the opening monolouge. I could have done without the very last scene with him and his wife, but, meh. I’d give it at least 3 stars if not 4. Like someone above says, not every action thriller can end with a super duper climactic shoot-em-up. That wouldn’t have worked here.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Wow, a movie attempting to be artistic. The horror!
November 26th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
You guys are treating this like the Sopranos. After some thought … ‘hey, the ending wasn’t that bad.’
Uh, yes, it was. When guys are killing one another for 90 mins with awesome weapons and pinpoint accuracy … to end it with dialogue seems cheap to me.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Woah, woah, woah. Don’t compare this to what David Chase did. David Chase is a money grubbing asshole who screwed his fans – and his own work – over with what he did to The Sopranos.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
not all movies have happy endings, nor should they. I thought the ending was perfect given the circumstances leading up to it.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Why explain myself when I can just use other people’s words. Read this review, TBL, it’s a good one:
November 26th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
TBL, the conversations at the end along with the voiceover at the beginning are kind of the whole point of the movie. If you didn’t like them then you should probably stick to the shitty movies that don’t require thinking.
It’s like listening to somebody bitch about subtitles in a foreign film.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Again, I think the idea of the ending and everything about it I have no problem with. It’s just how it was told and executed I felt was very contrived. People are bailing it out with it being “artistic” and “thoughtful” and so forth, and I don’t buy it. It is contrived and poorly executed. I have an appreciation for thoughtful movies and those which are done in a unique manner. It has nothing to do with a shoot up at the end or everything being laid out on a silver platter. It was just poorly done. It was a waste. It’s like preparing a delicious meal for an hour until it’s ready to eat, then eating a tv dinner instead.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Wasn’t holding out for a joyous ending. But i do like closure.
Caveman, I look forward to the time you leave a comment where you actually have an opinion on a topic, as opposed to, you know, just having an opinion on somebody’s opinion.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I took my fiancee to this and when it was over she said “you owe me 20 hours of wedding planning for going to see that.” Totally worth it.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I have absolutely no idea why this site continues to put its 2 cents in on movies. You’ve already proved to everyone that your cinematically-challenged.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
It seems like the Coen brothers intended to keep the movie as true to the book as possible. The plot is the same, the dialogue is the same, and the ending is the same. Other than one or two minor variations, this is how Cormac McCarthy would have made the movie. His work is visually arresting, but extremely depressing. clearly, it doens’t translate that well to film.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I will never understand why people demand “closure” from their fiction.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
I thought it translated beautifully from the novel. The cinematography was as stark and breathtaking as the movie itself, and the lack of a soundtrack accentuated the effect.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Or, people can just disagree on what is definited as a ‘movie that provokes thought.’
For thought provoking, I’d take Gone Baby Gone over this, and it’s not even close.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
We talk about movies (and culture and TV and sharks and media) because nobody can takes sports all day, all the time.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Sean Jean, I can’t stomach the “artistic” commentary bullshit either (see: Maj at #29); I just thought it was a good flick.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
If you’d read the book, you wouldn’t have been surprised. The last 60 pages ruined it.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
TBL, there was closure. (Spoiler)
Did you really think Anton could have or should have died? Not a chance. He was just too damn good at what he did. Except, obviously, for Llewelyn, not one character opposed him the entire movie. He was an unstoppable force. Once the Mexicans took care of Llewelyn, I knew for sure that Anton was going to get away. Tommy Lee Jones wasn’t going to get him. And like I said, why would anyone else? Even a violent car crash that would probably kill or at least cripple almost anyone was just a minor inconvenience to him. That’s part of how badass he was. He had to survive. And Llewelyn had to die for being greedy and stupid. His wife, I’m not sure how I felt about that. But it did provide closure. We don’t have to worry about how she’ll fare in the world without her husband or mom. Everything got tied up pretty neatly.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
If anybody on here ever has a date, “Enchanted” is allright, although, like “No Country” it takes a very stupid ending. I got dragged to the movie, and no I am not dissapointed. Fuck you all.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
****SPOLIER*****
****SPOLIER*****
****SPOLIER*****
****SPOLIER*****
First off, the movie is based off of the book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy. The Coen brothers were extremely faithful to the book, and I believe it might be one of the best adaptions for the screen ever. For example, the last narrative by TLJ is directly from the last page of the novel. As with most novels by Pulitzer Prize winners, the movie is to be thought about on a much deeper level. I thought an IMDB poster summed up my thoughts on the ending and meaning of the movie better than I could, so here they are below. I also must say that at first I was disapointed with the ending, probably from my need also to find some sort of closure with something I invested two hours in. However, going back and thinking about the dialogue and meaning behind the movie makes it a classic IMO. The camera work, dark humor dialogue at points, and music used were all top notch. If you liked other Coen brothers films, you will definitly love this. Remember, Fargo didn’t go out with a bang either, just the woman cop lyin in bed talkin to her husband. I will be seeing this again and would absolutely recommend it to anyone.
“My first interpretation, and i’ve only seen the movie once, is that basically the ending showed the change of life through the years and how Ed Bell’s ancestors and predecessors all basically gave their lives for their jobs and how he did not and was stuck with his choice.
Instead of losing his life for his job, he decides to quit, even after the paralized guy warns him not to. He is then stuck in a tranquil life at home that he hates, instead of trying and maybe being killed doing what he was supposed to do and stop Siguhr. He was the one who used to think of all the change and how life is so different than it used to be, when it is in fact true, and it is him who has changed and he doesn’t accept his faith that his predecessors did. Now he lives a life of obscurity and pointlessness Hence the title “No Country for Old Men”
As for Siguhr, he lives on to carry out more of these murders, basically his whole morality was based on fate and keeping to your word. He uses the coin flip as a symbol of this, when Moss’ wife won’t respond he most likely kills her anyway. This then throws off the balance and he is hit by the car when he is clearly going through a green light. This balance of morality and fate is supposed to also be shown through Tommy Lee’s charactor, he choses not to die for his job, and he is now forced a long life of obscurity, unlike his predecessors, this is also shown through the interpretation of his dream and how his father, the now younger man, is waiting for him by the fire. The younger man that died doing his job, while TLJ chose to not follow through, cowardly.”
November 26th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Art is open to interpretation. It’s all subjective, and one person’s opinion is simply that: their opinion. You can tell who truly understands and appreciates art by those who give their opinion and understand others. Those who get some false sense of entitlement by claiming they understand a movie and anyone else who doesn’t lacks their intelligence is missing the point. It is one of the most profound and highly debated topics in human history: What makes something of quality? I can simple state my reasons for why I feel the way I do and leave it at that when it comes to a work this open to interpretation. Clearly that is what they (Coen Brothers) were aiming for, so in that respect, I guess they succeeded.
Sorry to get all deep. Don’t think less of me. I still like boobs.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Loved that scene, and the dialog about the coin.
“But it’s just a quarter.”
“The quarter got here the same way as me.”
/paraphrasing
November 26th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Mike- yeah, and the coin scene in the gas station with the clueless elderly guy was even better. Probably the best darkly comedic scene in the whole movie, which is saying something.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I have learned that if my lazy ass ever does decide to start a sports blog to never include movie reviews. Nothing good can come from it.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Good post, Sean.
SPOILER
SPOILER
What angered me most, i think, was how they killed Brolin. WTF? I cared more about that guy and felt closer to his character, and to kill him off and NOT EVEN SHOW IT was terrible. What’s the logic there? Having not read the book, i actually hoped he wasn’t dead. Not only for him to face off with Anton, but at least to have something happen. Anything. If you want to have the mexicans have a shootout with him, fine. But to not show it, i thought, was terrible.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Call me naieve but what other movies have the Coen brothers done, everyone keeps talking about them like they are famous, I am a pop culture junkie and I haven’t heard of them until this movie.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
TBL, sorry, but I think you are way off base here. I cannot think of another way it could have ended and preserved the theme of the movie.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
TBL: we didn’t need to see the shoot-out; we saw the look on his wife’s face as TLJ approached her and he took his hat off. That was all that needed to be shown.
49er: Fargo.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I really enjoyed this movie… but the ending = The Sopranos ending, totally. I actually said, “just like the fucking Sopranos” as the credits came up. The thing is, I still liked it. I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the boring ass monlogues to really think about them and I was in total shock when the credits came up because I was only semi-listening to the last scene. I had to ask my girlfriend what actually was said when we were leaving. I do think it is a great film though and I usually pay attention to films more closely, but the monolouges really didn’t “tie anything together” for me either. I was considering reading the book to find the answers I seek, but after rwading that the movie was spot on with the book I will pass. This movie even with it’s WTF ending is still a solid 3 out of 4 IMO.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
SPOILER
I think one of the themes was that, yes, true evil exists in the world (Chigurh), but that “everyday” folk are capable of reprehensible acts as well, especially when under the influence of greed. I think it’s telling that, after the entire movie, Brolin is not killed by the “true” evil chasing him (Chigurh) but people in the end, just like him, out to get the money for their own selfish benefit. I think maybe not showing this was downplaying the ‘goodness’ of Brolin’s character; we care about him, sure, but by the end it is clear he is no longer the ‘good’ character vs Chigurh’s ‘evil.’ Remember he essentially gives up hs wife to Chigurh.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
That’s at least my best explanation for why they do not show that scene.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
cbh49er – The Big Lebowski
November 26th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
raising arizona with Nick cage was good also
The big lebowski-fucking classic
white russian anybody
November 26th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
SPOILER:
I read the book two months ago and the two things that pissed me off the most were
1. killing off Brolin’s character off screen
2. the framing device of Tommy Lee Jones’s character and how he is the guy referred to in the title. Reading the book, I didn’t give two shits about Tommy Lee Jones, and the last 60 pages (and so, probably the last 20 minutes of the movie) are devoted to him and how he’s now out of his league going against the likes of Chigurgh.
I was actually hoping the Coens would be less faithful to the book, because the elements were in place for this to be a phenomenal work, so long as they ended it when Chigurgh went out of the picture. I still plan to see the movie, if only to see Bardem wreak some havoc with the cobalt plunger
November 26th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
A few things:
– I saw No Country this weekend and enjoyed it. The end could have been better, but it could have been a whole lot worse. Bardem, in my opinion, is the best cinematic actor in the world right now. The Sea Inside and Before Night Falls are both solid, and if his performance in Love in the Time of Cholera is anything like his performance in No Country, then it’s sure to be fantastic. McCarthy is a great novelist, but Marquez is a legend.
– One more note on Bardem: The guy is dating Penelope Cruz. That’s solid work. (http://tinyurl.com/22h3yc)
– I’m willing to bet my life No Country is better than I Am Legend. Of course, it’s movies, and as far as I know there’s no way to monetize that bet, but if there was, I’d bet the savings on No Country.
– I also had the misfortune of watching Dan in Real Life this weekend, which was also reviewed by TBL. That movie is f’ing terrible. Seriously. Like fingers down a chalkboard while chewing ice. I wouldn’t want to put words in someone’s mouth, but I think TBL mentioned he enjoyed Dan in Real Life. Clearly it’s a matter of taste, and who can argue with taste?
– cbh49er, if you’ve never heard of the Coen Brothers, you’re not that much of a “pop culture junkie.” Raising Arizona? Lebowski? Miller’s Crossing? O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Fargo? All of those carry a certain pop culture cache.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
1.5 stars for what is probably the greatest American film of the decade (on the basis that it’s a “bad thriller” when it isn’t even a thriller at all)? looking forward to the sanitized and Will Smith-starring I Am Legend? it’s a good thing you don’t do movie reviews for a living TBL.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Yeah, never seen any of those movies, always heard the Big Lebowski is funny but I fell asleep during the first 10 minutes, although this was after being up all night partying.
Then again I have never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, only Star Wars 1 and 3, and none of the Godfather’s, so my pop culture knowledge as far as movies could be taken with a grain of salt.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I thought this was an excellent movie, and think that a lot of the confusion stems from the fact that the protaganist is Tommy Lee Jones’s character, not Lleweyn. You might like Lleweyn more, and he might be the focus of the first hour plus, but he’s not the protanganist.
Just look at the title of the book/movie. He’s just a framing device for TLJ’s character to evaluate his life, and his life’s work.
Also, for those of you who like “closure” in your fiction… go see “The Mist”. I haven’t seen it, but I do remember reading the short story back in 6th grade, and yeah… you’ll love it
November 26th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
What I would call “good movies” and what others might call “deep movies” are, in my opinion, supposed to stir up conversation about meaning/tone/theme/choice of direction/etc. I haven’t seen this movie yet and I didn’t read all of these posts, but it looks like this movie accomplished just that and on a sports blog no less. Yeah, TBL, action movies are awesome and they are even awesomer when they end with a bang, but seriously, nobody was talking or thinking about teh depth of Transformers when the credits rolled and Michael Bay’s name flashed up there, whereas here there is at least more than topical conversation even if for the sake of being “artsy.”
November 26th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
GREATEST AMERICAN FILM OF THE DECADE?
Do you really mean that? I mean … hell, i thought Gone Baby Gone was much better, and last year Departed was tremendous, and I’m sure I could go on, but I know this movie is not making my Top 10 of the last decade, much less this year.
Again, i loved the first 90 minutes but just wasn’t keen on what happened after that.
And I only called it a thriller because IMDB lists it as a crime/drama/thriller
November 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
sorry, I was probably being a wee bit hyperbolic in calling it that (though, honestly, I can’t think of an American movie made since 2000 that I’ve liked more).
while I still STRONGLY disagree that the last 30 minutes are weak, I can see why you think that (and I will agree that both Gone Baby Gone and The Departed are fantastic movies). it really is not a movie for everyone. I should also add that you should take what I say about movies with a grain of salt – I own and like all 10 Star Trek films (yes, even V and Nemesis), AND the last 6 Friday the 13th flicks, so I’m really in no position to judge someone else’s taste.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
You guys are morons. Read the book. As most of the critics have said, guys thinking this is an “action movie” will be disappointed. It’s more than that. If you like the movie, you will understand and appreciate the title.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
TBL, about your issue as posted in 43.
SPOILER:
Doesn’t that make the choice not to show Moss’s death even better, since you identified with him? They don’t give you the comfort of seeing his final fight, as it were. You said “you felt close to him,” so, to me, that makes the decision to omit the action even better. We all want to see what happens, but sometimes you don’t get that.
END SPOILER
And it all boils down to a matter of taste, of course.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
the movie is awesome, and this thread partially renews my faith in humanity.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Wow, you can cut the tension with a knife! Caveman, don’t you have your “comedy” blog to write? Is Will still handing you out enough links on Deadspin to keep your readership up?
November 26th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I guess everyone here wanted Brolin to cut the head off his enemy, kiss his wife, grab the satchel, and walk off into the sunset. Sorry the big Hollywood shootout didn’t end the film.
I thought the ending was telling, apt, and true to the spirit of the characters.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Zing!
November 26th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Anyone here seen Donnie Darko? I’ve heard alot about it, but the opinions seem to be split down the middle. Worth a rent?
November 26th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Donnie Darko is a classic. This film is a better example of a movie open to interpretation rather than a poor execution of telling a story, a la No Country for Old Men, imo.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Donnie Darko was interesting, but it seemed sort of like freshmen philosophy class to me: a lot of ideas thrown out there without a lot of development (but Kelly’s directing was great). Of course, I may just be feeling defensive because I really liked the execution of the storytelling in No Country for Old Men.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
People who are disappointed with the ending are completely missing the point of the movie. This isn’t an action movie or a thriller. It’s a character study of a completely evil man and the way that various ordinary people interact with him. This isn’t an action movie with an art house ending, it’s an art house movie with an action-y middle. And Tommy Lee Jones’ dialogue is great in the movie, and it actually delivers a poignant message, as opposed to a shitload of explosions