NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

THIS IS A PICTURE ABOUT KILLING PEOPLE, ANIMALS AND MOTOR VEHICLES.
IT IS A TAKE OFF ON THE MOVIE, "A SIMPLE PLAN." IN THAT TOM PAXTON, BILLY BOB THORNTON FILM, A MAN FINDS A SUITCASE FULL OF MONEY IN A DRUG SMUGGLING PLANE, THAT CRASHED IN THE WOODS.
THIS BASICALLY HONEST, DECENT, GOD-FEARING MAN, HAS ONLY TO TAKE THE MONEY HOME AND HOLD ON TO IT UNTIL THINGS COOL DOWN AND HE WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF HIS LIFE FOR THE BETTER --- HE BELIEVES.
IF LIFE WAS SIMPLE, THERE WOULD BE NO STORY - THE STORY IS THAT THINGS GET MORE AND MORE COMPLICATED EACH HOUR.
PARTNERS ARE INVOLVED TO INSURE THEIR SILENCE AND JEALOUSY AND GREED GROW AMONG THOSE NOW INVOLVED, IN WHAT STARTED AS A SIMPLE PLAN.
THIS IS BASICALLY THE SAME FILM, BUT IT FOCUSES ON A HITMAN WHO IS SENT TO FIND THE MISSING MONEY AND DRUGS FROM A DEAL THAT ENDED IN VIOLENCE BETWEEN RIVAL DRUG CARTELS.
TOMMY LEE JONES IS THE WISE OLD SHERIFF, TRACKING DOWN THE MONEY AND THE KILLER.
JAVIER BARDEM IS THE KILLER -- VERY CLEVER, BUT TOTALLY INSANE.
JOSH BROLIN, SEEMS TO BE THE "HERO' OF THE PIECE, SINCE HE IS A NICE GUY, OUT TO MAKE A FAST BUCK AND NOT WISHING TO HARM ANYONE.
WOODY HARRELSON IS UNDER-USED AS A TRACER OF LOST MONEY AND PEOPLE AND A HITMAN IN HIS SPARE TIME.
GARRETT DILLAHUNT IS VERY GOOD AS A DEPUTY, LEARNING THE JOB FROM TOMMY LEE.
KELLY MACDONALD IS THE WIFE OF JOSH BROLIN, WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND HER AS THE DANGER MOVES CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HER.
THIS IS AN ETHAN AND JOEL COEN FILM-- SO IT HAS TO BE STRANGE - - ODD - HITCHCOCK LIKE - UNUSUAL - UNIQUE -- THE SPECIAL COEN ELEMENT IN THIS FILM IS THAT, THIS IS ONLY CHAPTER ONE.
JUST AS WITH KILL BILL, BY QUENTIN TARANTINO, THERE HAS TO BE A SEQUEL, TO COMPLETE THE TALE.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD FILM - IT HOLDS YOUR INTEREST FROM START TO FINISH. I DON'T OFTEN NAME SO MANY ACTORS IN A FILM, BUT THESE FOLKS DID A FINE JOB IN THEIR ROLES AND NONE COULD BE TYPECAST, SINCE THESE CHARACTERS WERE ALL OFF THE BEATEN PATH - THEY ALL HAD TO ACT TO MAKE THEIR PARTS WORK AND THEY DID A FINE JOB.
THE MOVIE DOES HAVE A "PULP FICTION" FEEL TO IT, AS PLASTIC MAN POINTED OUT.
PLEASE, DON'T BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE WHO GO TO A MOVIE ABOUT PURE VIOLENCE AND THEN DISLIKE IT WHEN THE BODY COUNTS SKYROCKETS - THE BODY COUNT IS THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF THE PLOT -- THERE IS NO POLITICAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE IN THE FILM. IT IS ABOUT KILLING THEM, BEFORE THEY KILL YOU. IF THAT IS A PROBLEM, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE.

**************** COMMENT FROM JOE X ********************
joe said...
there doesn't have to be a sequel-this is based on a book by Cormac McCarthy-he doesn't write conventional endings to his books for the most part-i've read evry book he's written and i consider him the best living fiction writer(but what do i know?)-his use of language is challenging even if you think you have a good vocabulary and he uses devices like conflated words which give a distinct rhythm to his sentences-sort of like david mamet- a blind person would know if it was a david mamet movie by the inflections of the actors' speech-anyhow,this film is based on one of the few McCarthy novels that i believe is amenable to screen adaptation and as such is reasonably good