Here's a list of the movies for those who don't want to watch the entire 9 minutes:

[spoiler]
10. identity
9. one flew over the cuckoo's nest
8. no country for old men
7. saw
6. rosemary's baby
5. the silence of the lambs
4. primal fear
3. the empire strikes back
2. se7en
1. the usual suspects
[/spoiler]

I've always said that the tertiary characters from Coen brothers films are literally plucked out of the time and location in which they're set. If you travel to Minneapolis and look around, you will eventually find that blond hostess (2:42). Similarly, if you ever made it down to West Texas (No Country for Old Men), you'd find that overweight, stubborn trailer park lady , or somehow made it back to 1930's Mississippi (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), you'd find the Woolworth's store clerk ready to toss you out the front door.

I know they cast these parts locally when setting up a film, but their casting people are phenomenal at finding just the right people for those parts.

>> ^spoco2:

I really did have an issue with the film. It was typically fantastically made and acted as Cohen films are.
SPOILERS!


But having it end like that, to have it really just piss away the emotional investment you've made with some of the characters was hard to handle. It made me end with 'Well what the hell was the point of that?'


SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!





I thought the end was perfect. The point, to me, was that the Sheriff wished for a simpler time but was well aware, and tired of the fact, that evil isn't always cleanly defeated, good doesn't always prevail, and the fight is ongoing.

Blockbuster in Canada was supposed to hold out a bit longer but has now died almost completely. Just walked into the nearest location on Friday night and it was in store closing clearance sale mode.. meaning pay only 20% premium versus normal retail buying your videos here, as opposed to the normal 40% premium. Although you could get some great deals on some discs... I bought No Country for Old Men for $8. There were once 5 blockbusters in my city, now down to two.

As someone who loves to rent blu-rays on impulse I find this troubling. Does Netflix Canada offer blu-ray? Last time I checked (admittedly could have been 2+ years ago) they did not (and at that time I don't think we even had Netflix... it was zip.ca or something like that).

For those who criticize No Country for Old Men as being anti-climactic or self-indulgent (@Deano and @dannym3141), I'll counter that the movie is the most faithful production of a novel that I've ever run across. The Cormack McCarthy book ends in exactly the same way.

Got high hopes for this, but i worry. I have to agree with what someone said earlier - no country for old men was the most trite, anticlimactic, self indulgent waste of 3 hours i've ever had the misfortune to sit through. I'm sure opinion on that film is split right down the middle.

Looks like there might be some sort of climax/resolution to this though, the inclusion of which - alone - would have made no country for old men a good film.

No, didn't like any of them. I definitely credit them with getting these films made. They're wantonly unconformist and that's something to be applauded but their films feel shallow, if good-looking concoctions.

And often, sad to say, quite boring. I recall Barton Fink especially and felt especially burned by that as I'd journeyed to the cinema for that.

I loved O Brother Where Art Thou for the music which really got me into Bluegrass. I haven't seen all their films but probably most of them. No Country for Old Men just confirmed they're never going to change their ways. But they have their fans and that's cool. Better than standard Hollywood fare.

>> ^Sarzy:

>> ^Deano:
Sorry to say but I do detest the Cohens. Vastly overrated and seemingly incapable of developing characters or vaguely interesting scripts. Some of their direction is good so maybe they should stick to that rather than developing films.
Anyone catch the ending of Old Country or whatever it's called? Absolutely rubbish and typically contrary behaviour.
They really haven't done a decent film since Raising Arizona.
Finally why, oh, why are they remaking True Grit? Run out of ideas?

They haven't done a decent film since Raising Arizona...? You didn't like Fargo? The Big Lebowski? O Brother Where Art Thou? Miller's Crossing?
Incapable of developing characters? If nothing else, The Dude is one of the most iconic characters of the '90s. I know opinions are subjective and all that, but... you are incorrect. The Coen brothers are awesome.

They just made a no country for old men reference. @_@;; Was the book really that popular or are these newer then I thought?

This is the way I took it, Rasch (not that you're still confused).

Ed Tom (TLJ) has decided on retirement rather than bringing the killer to justice. He found the killer but he retires because he realizes that Texas is essentially No Country for Old Men. So he tells his wife about a dream: heading into snowy, dangerous mountains on horseback and his father carrying fire, goes on ahead of him to await him.

This idea of father & son carrying fire is also explored in The Road, McCarthy's follow-up to NCFOM, as the man and the boy seek to establish their place in the overwhelming bleakness of their existence.

The Sheriff knows he's outmatched by this new kind of evil (Bardem) and since he's older now than his father ever was, the dream is kind of an acceptance of his retirement, a "letting-go" of this hazardous job so he can follow the fire of his father. Perhaps he feels he owes it to his father to continue to survive, since he's older.

Like Bob Dylan said, "Momma, take this badge offa me, ... I feel I'm knockin on heaven's door."

>> ^Eklek:
Cannes had some heavy entries this year and Antichrist/Enter the Void are probably worthwhile to watch..Haneke's film doesn't look like fun indeed - saw the trailer - but knowing his reputation..
The most recent Cormac McCarthy film The Road is hopefully (almost) as good as No Country for Old Men..but the new Coen bros film, A serious man, I don't know..
Korine will be good I guess, hope they'll release the Korine film, his last film was not.
Herzog with 2 films coming out..good stuff..
And a new Todd Solondz, black humour:)
Avatar will be an interesting moment in cinema history..
And indeed 2010 with Burton's Alice; Nolan's scifi..
and King Shot (produced by Lynch)
>> ^blankfist:
Dunston Checks In

Indeed something to look backward to..and think, why? Any flicks you're looking forward to blankie?
And Sarzy, you'll do a report from the festival on your blog? Wish I could be there..


I really do want to see Antichrist. Farhad, where is the torrent? I cant find it.

I am really curious about the road, also. Hopefully it will be better than the trailer makes it look. I loved the book. I seriously doubt that it will be on the level of no country.

I also really want to see my son, my son, the newest from herzog, presented by lynch.


Also, the new hirokazu kore-eda, still walking, looks very promising.

Eklek, I bet if you are not already on it, you would love www.theauteurs.com

Cannes had some heavy entries this year and Antichrist/Enter the Void are probably worthwhile to watch..Haneke's film doesn't look like fun indeed - saw the trailer - but knowing his reputation..

The most recent Cormac McCarthy film The Road is hopefully (almost) as good as No Country for Old Men..but the new Coen bros film, A serious man, I don't know..

Korine will be good I guess, hope they'll release the Korine film, his last film was not.
Herzog with 2 films coming out..good stuff..
And a new Todd Solondz, black humour:)

Avatar will be an interesting moment in cinema history..

And indeed 2010 with Burton's Alice; Nolan's scifi..
and King Shot (produced by Lynch)

>> ^blankfist:
Dunston Checks In

Indeed something to look backward to..and think, why? Any flicks you're looking forward to blankie?

And Sarzy, you'll do a report from the festival on your blog? Wish I could be there..

^ really?! both of those films completely restored my faith in the coens after the blip that was ladykillers and intolerable cruelty. especially no country for old men. fucking fantastic movie.

good thing it takes 2 to operate.

or the dude from No Country for Old Men would be all over that thing.

I WILL DESTROY YOU!

No, I'm just kidding. Or am I? No, I am. But seriously, what film are you under the mistaken impression is better than There Will Be Blood? And the only acceptable answer here is No Country For Old Men, though I suppose I could also accept the Darjeeling Limited.

I can see where you're coming from, totally. I suppose the one saving grace of the movie for me was that John Doe was in custody when the ending played out. At least I had a small sense of justice in that. And Morgan Freeman's character understood how deeply everyone had been played. The bad guy was fucking evil incarnate, but at least he got caught. I can see how that might not be enough for some. I guess I'm easy that way

In reply to this comment by dag:
I just found that the whole se7ven movie's purpose was to make you feel like shit by the time you see his wife's head in the box. I walked out of that movie utterly depressed. Sure the whole deadly sins thing was clever, but so contrived and just a means to an end that was utterly horrible.



In reply to this comment by smibbo:
(last comment, I swear) The thing is, the Kevin Spacey character in Se7en was hideously and evil and scary et al but at least he had a point to make. The killer in NCFOM? He has no point. None. He's just a scary, evil motherfucker. That's it. And that's not enough for me.

In reply to this comment by dag:
Your review makes me not want to see this movie. I dislike movies that are technically wonderful, (great perfomances, great story) but depress the hell out of me.

If I'm looking to get bummed out, there are cheaper methods than that. Red wine works for me.

I think the number 1 movie that was technically good but depressed me- would have to be "7" with Brad Pitt. Hate that movie.