Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Tess Harper, Garret Dillahunt
Dirs. Ethan & Joel Coen
Scr. Ethan & Joel Coen (based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy)
I’m willing to put a large sum of money on the likelihood of No Country for Old Men being in my top ten of 2008, despite the fact it’s only the second film I’ve seen this year. This is a finely crafted, perfectly paced, intelligent and rewarding film. The Coen Brothers seemed to have lost their way in recent years (with the disappointing Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty). With this film, however, Ethan and Joel have once again given us an absolute classic.
No Country for Old Men is a story of violence and madness and fate. Local hunter Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) stumbles across a drug sale gone wrong – including a suitcase filled with cash. The film follows his desperate attempt to get away from a ruthless killer (Bardem) intent on retrieving the money, alongside Sheriff Bell (Jones) who is trying to both piece together the bloody events and understand what is driving those involved. Moss, obviously, is driven by a large amount of money. But the real enigma in this film is Anton Chigurh – a contract killer, a true psychopath. A man who will decide the future of another on a coin toss. A man who kills with glee in his eyes.
The performances in No Country for Old Men are absolutely spot-on, without exception. Tommy Lee Jones, as the weathered sheriff with sad eyes and a profound turn of phrase, gives exactly the performance that we would expect from such an experienced and accomplished actor. You just can’t help to really feel for a man who feels defeated by a new generation and breed of criminal. Woody Harrelson gives a fine performance as a fellow contract killer sent after Chigurh – he injects humour and charisma into his small role. Josh Brolin (as instant millionaire Moss) is somewhat of a surprise. For me, Brolin was always a forgettable face in the supporting cast of a usually mediocre movie (with the notable exception of the recent American Gangster). But in No Country for Old Men his performance is perfect - Moss is a somewhat hapless man, with an odd sense of invincibility. Brolin succeeds in making Moss incredibly likeable, an “average joe” that the audience truly wants to see make a clean getaway. The performance that will stay with you long after the film is over, however, is that of Javier Bardem as Chigurh. Perhaps a bit of an unknown to many, Bardem is a Spanish-born actor who has a fine string of films (many foreign) behind him. He is blessed with an incredibly expressive face and the skill to use it in both an incredibly subtle and frighteningly exaggerated way. The early scene in which Chigurh strangles a deputy sheriff is a fine example of the latter – an utterly disturbing image. Bardem is amazing in this film – creepy, charismatic, ruthless, philosophical. We never quite understand what drives him, but you can’t help but suspect it is something incredibly profound and utterly convincing.
The other star of No Country for Old Men is the script. The Coen Brothers are known for smart, quirky, dark dialogue, and this film is a fine example of their skill. The turn of phrase is at times hilarious, at times profound, at times ridiculous, and at times so very sad. The language is a hugely important aspect of the film and its characters. Just like the Minnesota accent in Fargo, the Texan way of speaking and expressing gives No Country for Old Men a very particular and memorable flavour. It will certainly be a screenplay worth reading, as well as a movie worth seeing.
No Country for Old Men is basically a flawless film. The bursts of violence will not be to everyone’s taste. But you don’t mind a bit of blood, see this movie. This is film-making at it’s finest – so tense and compelling and funny and profound. For me, the finest Coen Brothers film is still Fargo, but No Country for Old Men is a damn close second and I can’t wait to see it again. And again.
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Wendell: That's very linear Sheriff.
Sheriff Bell: Well, age will flatten a man.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
American Gangster
Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal
Dir. Ridley Scott
Scr. Steven Zaillian
With American Gangster, Ridley Scott gives audiences a solid start to 2008. It’s not the classic that is it perhaps hoping to be, but nevertheless, this film is compelling and well acted. It’s a story of some very different conceptions of what is right and what is wrong. There is perhaps not much that is new or enlightening here – we have seen the drug world, the corrupt cops world, many times before. But you won’t be bored or disappointed by this film – it’s an entertaining trip to a gritty time and place.
American Gangster tells the true story of Frank Lucas (Washington), a drug smuggler and crime lord in New York in the 60s and 70s, and the cop (Crowe) who tries to bring him and his operation down. In a time when the Italian Mafia ruled the roost, Lucas did what many thought impossible – had the Mafia working for him. By importing pure heroin direct from Korea and offering a better product at a cheaper price, Lucas made a lot of money and just as many enemies. Just as interesting a character is Richie Roberts (Crowe) – an honest cop in a time when every second cop was on the take.
It is Crowe and Washington who hold this movie together – their characters are very different and very seldom share the screen at the same time, and it is this juxtaposition of worlds and morals that makes this an above-average, interesting tale. And their performances are spot-on. Crowe does the “everyman” role very well indeed – here, he is a man just trying to do his job in an environment that is trying it’s best to tempt him into doing wrong. Washington is also at the top of his game. His baddie roles are often more compelling and this is no exception. Lucas is, in many ways, a very moral man – he believes in family and community and just rewards. But he is also a violent man and his drug business undoubtedly killed many people and ruined countless lives, but somehow this doesn’t register on his moral compass. Despite everything, you like Lucas, even though you shouldn’t. A top-notch performance by Denzel.
The rest of the cast is equally solid. Stand-outs include Ejiofor, as one of Lucas’s brothers, and Brolin, who plays a corrupt special investigator. Nadal, who plays Lucas’s beauty queen wife, is also very good (not to mention exceptionally beautiful).
Although I can’t find a lot to fault in this movie, it doesn’t feel like the absolute stellar film it should be. And I’m not sure why this is. Perhaps because we’ve been told this story a million times (drug lord takes hold of a community, of a city, and a flawed but brilliant cop takes him down). Perhaps it’s a bit long (at nearly 170 minutes), although I don’t remember thinking “what the hell is the point of this scene?” Maybe it didn’t grip me as completely as it should have. I wasn’t bored and I was entertained, but I suspect, by year’s end, I won’t be desperate to add American Gangster to my Top Ten of 2008.
So, yeah, this review seems to have fizzled out somewhat. If gritty cop/drug/corruption stories with moments of brutality are your thing, see this film. You won’t be disappointed, although you might feel that you’ve seen it all before.
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Frank Lucas: The man I worked for had one of the biggest companies in New York City. He didn't own his own company. White man owned it, so they owned him. Nobody owns me, though.
Dir. Ridley Scott
Scr. Steven Zaillian
With American Gangster, Ridley Scott gives audiences a solid start to 2008. It’s not the classic that is it perhaps hoping to be, but nevertheless, this film is compelling and well acted. It’s a story of some very different conceptions of what is right and what is wrong. There is perhaps not much that is new or enlightening here – we have seen the drug world, the corrupt cops world, many times before. But you won’t be bored or disappointed by this film – it’s an entertaining trip to a gritty time and place.
American Gangster tells the true story of Frank Lucas (Washington), a drug smuggler and crime lord in New York in the 60s and 70s, and the cop (Crowe) who tries to bring him and his operation down. In a time when the Italian Mafia ruled the roost, Lucas did what many thought impossible – had the Mafia working for him. By importing pure heroin direct from Korea and offering a better product at a cheaper price, Lucas made a lot of money and just as many enemies. Just as interesting a character is Richie Roberts (Crowe) – an honest cop in a time when every second cop was on the take.
It is Crowe and Washington who hold this movie together – their characters are very different and very seldom share the screen at the same time, and it is this juxtaposition of worlds and morals that makes this an above-average, interesting tale. And their performances are spot-on. Crowe does the “everyman” role very well indeed – here, he is a man just trying to do his job in an environment that is trying it’s best to tempt him into doing wrong. Washington is also at the top of his game. His baddie roles are often more compelling and this is no exception. Lucas is, in many ways, a very moral man – he believes in family and community and just rewards. But he is also a violent man and his drug business undoubtedly killed many people and ruined countless lives, but somehow this doesn’t register on his moral compass. Despite everything, you like Lucas, even though you shouldn’t. A top-notch performance by Denzel.
The rest of the cast is equally solid. Stand-outs include Ejiofor, as one of Lucas’s brothers, and Brolin, who plays a corrupt special investigator. Nadal, who plays Lucas’s beauty queen wife, is also very good (not to mention exceptionally beautiful).
Although I can’t find a lot to fault in this movie, it doesn’t feel like the absolute stellar film it should be. And I’m not sure why this is. Perhaps because we’ve been told this story a million times (drug lord takes hold of a community, of a city, and a flawed but brilliant cop takes him down). Perhaps it’s a bit long (at nearly 170 minutes), although I don’t remember thinking “what the hell is the point of this scene?” Maybe it didn’t grip me as completely as it should have. I wasn’t bored and I was entertained, but I suspect, by year’s end, I won’t be desperate to add American Gangster to my Top Ten of 2008.
So, yeah, this review seems to have fizzled out somewhat. If gritty cop/drug/corruption stories with moments of brutality are your thing, see this film. You won’t be disappointed, although you might feel that you’ve seen it all before.
------------------------------------
Frank Lucas: The man I worked for had one of the biggest companies in New York City. He didn't own his own company. White man owned it, so they owned him. Nobody owns me, though.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Top Ten of 2007
Below are my top ten films of 2007 (in alphabetical order, because ranking them is just too hard). Note – I saw these films at the cinema in 2007. They may have been released earlier in some parts of the world and you may wonder why they appear in this list – it is because I live in New Zealand and we get some things a tad late. Deal with it.
The Bourne Ultimatum – The third in the Bourne trilogy delivers in spades. Fantastic, intelligent, fast-paced thriller. It is a rare thing indeed. Best action film of the year.
Breach – A gem of a film. Great acting (especially from the amazing Chris Cooper). A compelling and intriguing story.
Eastern Promises – Just brilliant. A tale of morality and the human condition. And you gotta love the Russian accents … Although Viggo Mortensen is sexy in any language.
Hot Fuzz – No, it’s not as good as Shaun of the Dead, but it’s still a very clever and very funny comedy. And stands up to repeats viewings. Funniest film of the year.
Into the Wild – A beautifully film adaptation of a great book about one man’s need to find himself. Wonderfully acted by a stellar cast; great directing by Sean Penn; brilliant soundtrack by Eddie Vedder.
The Last King of Scotland – A disturbing film. Superb acting (and certainly not just a one-man show). Great script. Deserved award-winner.
Lives of Others – Arguably the best foreign film of the last decade. Utterly compelling. The characters are brilliantly realised and the acting is superb – you truly care what happens to the people in this story. Excellent film-making.
Music and Lyrics – It’s in this list because of my weakness for three things: Hugh, Drew and romance. Throw in some music and, BAM, fantastic film! This is a lovely rom-com that delivers on both laughs and chemistry – best rom-com of the year, no contest.
Pan’s Labyrinth – My personal favourite of the year (so good it has entered my top ten of all time). I can’t rave enough about this film. If you haven’t seen it, SEE IT! Yes, it’s a fairy tale, but definitely not one for the kids.
The Prestige – A clever and entertaining story with some fantastic acting and enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. A film you will think about long after the credits have rolled.
Notable mentions: The Bridge (a truly powerful documentary), The Descent (bloody scary), Dreamgirls (great music and phenomenal performance by Jennifer Hudson), The Simpsons Movie (they did it – kept you laughing for 90 minutes!) Stardust (lovely adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel)
The Bourne Ultimatum – The third in the Bourne trilogy delivers in spades. Fantastic, intelligent, fast-paced thriller. It is a rare thing indeed. Best action film of the year.
Breach – A gem of a film. Great acting (especially from the amazing Chris Cooper). A compelling and intriguing story.
Eastern Promises – Just brilliant. A tale of morality and the human condition. And you gotta love the Russian accents … Although Viggo Mortensen is sexy in any language.
Hot Fuzz – No, it’s not as good as Shaun of the Dead, but it’s still a very clever and very funny comedy. And stands up to repeats viewings. Funniest film of the year.
Into the Wild – A beautifully film adaptation of a great book about one man’s need to find himself. Wonderfully acted by a stellar cast; great directing by Sean Penn; brilliant soundtrack by Eddie Vedder.
The Last King of Scotland – A disturbing film. Superb acting (and certainly not just a one-man show). Great script. Deserved award-winner.
Lives of Others – Arguably the best foreign film of the last decade. Utterly compelling. The characters are brilliantly realised and the acting is superb – you truly care what happens to the people in this story. Excellent film-making.
Music and Lyrics – It’s in this list because of my weakness for three things: Hugh, Drew and romance. Throw in some music and, BAM, fantastic film! This is a lovely rom-com that delivers on both laughs and chemistry – best rom-com of the year, no contest.
Pan’s Labyrinth – My personal favourite of the year (so good it has entered my top ten of all time). I can’t rave enough about this film. If you haven’t seen it, SEE IT! Yes, it’s a fairy tale, but definitely not one for the kids.
The Prestige – A clever and entertaining story with some fantastic acting and enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. A film you will think about long after the credits have rolled.
Notable mentions: The Bridge (a truly powerful documentary), The Descent (bloody scary), Dreamgirls (great music and phenomenal performance by Jennifer Hudson), The Simpsons Movie (they did it – kept you laughing for 90 minutes!) Stardust (lovely adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel)
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