The movie opens with one of the best segments of narration you're apt to hear at the cinema all year. Tommy Lee Jones, local Texan sheriff, sets the tone for the whole piece by describing a 14-year old boy he once had convicted of the murder of a young girl.
[The following is straight from Ebert's review; I couldn't find this quote anywhere else.]
The papers described it as a crime of passion, "but he told me there weren't nothin' passionate about it. Said he'd been fixin' to kill someone for as long as he could remember. Said if I let him out of there, he'd kill somebody again. Said he was goin' to hell. Reckoned he'd be there in about 15 minutes."
The first three quarters of No Country are about what you'd expect given the setup: Josh Brolin's character (Llewelyn Moss), a poor Texan who lives in a trailer in the desert and spends most of his time hunting, stumbles across a handful of dead bodies, a truckload of heroin, and $2 million in cash. That sounds like a Coen movie, doesn't it? Unfortunately, sums of money that great do not allow their finders to live in peace. Moss soon finds himself on the run from a crazy yet uber-effective assassin, superbly portrayed by Javier Bardem. There is more suspense and tension (gore is scary, but so is pure insanity) in these scenes than one could hope for.
But then, something major happens at about the 100 minute mark and the whole tone of the movie changes. This is when you, as the viewer, must decide whether to be merely bored by the admittedly anti-climactic final quarter, or to accept that the true purpose of the film goes far beyond violence and mayhem.
Let's go back to that zinger of an opening speech. In it, the sheriff also reflects on what the older generation would have made of the incomprehensible violence happening in today's world. Later on, in a pivotal discussion with his uncle, he realizes that what's happening now is really nothing new - those characteristics have always been a part of human nature, and there's nothing he can do to stop it. This country is no place for men like him.
The ending leaves something to be desired for many who watch it, but if you haven't been overwhelmed by the fake blood and fancy stunt work, you should be able to appreciate that it is pitch-perfect. In conclusion, Fargo was a masterpiece; this is better.
Rating: ****
3 comments:
Now I want to see that movie even more! Nice review, Tam!
"Better than Fargo" is high praise indeed, around these parts!
For what it's worth, I don't think you will agree with that statement. But I do think you'll enjoy the film.
Great review. I want to see it too now. Sounds like it makes you think
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