If you haven’t heard already, Joel and Ethan Coen’s “No Country For Old Men” may be one of the best thrillers to hit screens in years.
Of course, coming from the same duo who offered up “Fargo” and “Blood Simple,” it was already on the horizon. “No Country’s” commanding cinematography and detail-oriented twists solidify this story of a dry Texas community facing change in the early 1980s as Academy Award fodder. I very much enjoy the slow, sensitive pace the Coens employ even during chase sequences — it’s what keeps audiences a part of the story while allowing a message most cookie-cutter thrillers let slip to reign supreme in the film’s conclusion.
When I saw “No Country” last week, I couldn’t help but think of “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,“a Robert Altman directed drama from 1971. Classified at its release as an anti-Western, this film may come off a little like a character piece with certain touches and embellishments. However, it was Altman’s genius control of pacing and overall mod through the film’s setting that immediately struck me several years ago when I first watched it. Using Winter and all its brutality to his advantage, Altman creates the town of Presbyterian Church in exact opposition to the traditional arid desert setting of popular Westerns. Much like the Coens utilize the emptiness of the desert and the crusty, overlooked corners of the U.S., “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” hones in on Presbyterian Church as a living entity that has just as much of an effect on its characters as they do on each other.
If we’re getting into specifics, check out how unusually each film presents its sheriff character. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who comes from a long line of law enforcers and must come to terms with the changes time has brought to his community. In “McCabe,” there’s no sheriff at all! Devoid of Native Americans, law enforcement or dangerous outlaws, Altman usurped the Eastwood and Denver standard from years before. In their own way, both films show a diminishing effectiveness or importance of the officers who have traditionally defended a clear cut law.
The average moviegoer may find the films a little slow in the beginning, especially if it’s the first time experiencing Altman’s often difficult over-lapping dialogue techniques or the Coens’ meticulous attention to detail, but the spellbinding conclusions are rewarding.
Of course, don’t expect many “O Brother Where Art Thou” moments, this picture may be the most serious the pair has ever offered. Still, “No Country For Old Men” has my vote for best picture of the year so far.
No Soggy Bottom Boys in these parts
11 27, 2007
If you haven’t heard already, Joel and Ethan Coen’s “No Country For Old Men” may be one of the best thrillers to hit screens in years.
Of course, coming from the same duo who offered up “Fargo” and “Blood Simple,” it was already on the horizon. “No Country’s” commanding cinematography and detail-oriented twists solidify this story of a dry Texas community facing change in the early 1980s as Academy Award fodder. I very much enjoy the slow, sensitive pace the Coens employ even during chase sequences — it’s what keeps audiences a part of the story while allowing a message most cookie-cutter thrillers let slip to reign supreme in the film’s conclusion.
When I saw “No Country” last week, I couldn’t help but think of “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,“a Robert Altman directed drama from 1971. Classified at its release as an anti-Western, this film may come off a little like a character piece with certain touches and embellishments. However, it was Altman’s genius control of pacing and overall mod through the film’s setting that immediately struck me several years ago when I first watched it. Using Winter and all its brutality to his advantage, Altman creates the town of Presbyterian Church in exact opposition to the traditional arid desert setting of popular Westerns. Much like the Coens utilize the emptiness of the desert and the crusty, overlooked corners of the U.S., “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” hones in on Presbyterian Church as a living entity that has just as much of an effect on its characters as they do on each other.
If we’re getting into specifics, check out how unusually each film presents its sheriff character. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who comes from a long line of law enforcers and must come to terms with the changes time has brought to his community. In “McCabe,” there’s no sheriff at all! Devoid of Native Americans, law enforcement or dangerous outlaws, Altman usurped the Eastwood and Denver standard from years before. In their own way, both films show a diminishing effectiveness or importance of the officers who have traditionally defended a clear cut law.
The average moviegoer may find the films a little slow in the beginning, especially if it’s the first time experiencing Altman’s often difficult over-lapping dialogue techniques or the Coens’ meticulous attention to detail, but the spellbinding conclusions are rewarding.
Of course, don’t expect many “O Brother Where Art Thou” moments, this picture may be the most serious the pair has ever offered. Still, “No Country For Old Men” has my vote for best picture of the year so far.