Plus, it's telling the story of the book. (warning, spoilers)

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Posted by sjb (A) on November 21, 2007 at 11:45:42

In Reply to: I know what you mean... posted by mkuller on November 21, 2007 at 11:30:54:

I too felt this was very, very well done on all fronts, perhaps most of all in atmosphere, but it was ultimately, for me, less than fully satisying. It wasn't because of the ending (which I liked and thought had real power) but because of a kind of distance from it all... a lack of full emotional resonance if you will.

One thing that pulled me out of the film a little was the anticlimax of Luellens (sp?) demise. After being with him for basically all of the cat and mouse with Bardem it was strange to be so far from him when they had their final showdown. Suddenly the movie was all about Tommy Lee Jones.

It was an interesting and kind of bold choice but for me at least it had a slightly negative impact.

And it was a little strange when TLJ went back to the motel room and we saw the shot of Bardem hiding with his gun just before Jones enetered the room and then, nothing. It didn't seem like he was actually in there and if that was a big moment of Bardem deciding not to kill Jones and/or it was Jones imagining him being in there (and Bardem's ghostlike presence was the reason Jones went to the wheelchair guy with the feeling of being haunted and hunted) then it was underplayed to the point of losing some of the power/impact it might have had.

These things too might be true to the book but they helped leave a void in my overall impression of the film.

All that said, I'll probably see it again. Oh, and what a great performance by Luellen's wife.

"You can safely assume you have created God in your own image when he hates all the same people you do."

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - No Country for Old Men... - mkuller 09:51:11 11/21/07 (12)

comments with spoilers - tunenut 15:10:41 11/23/07 (3)

On Woody Harrelson as a tough talking hombre . . . - townsend 21:04:16 11/23/07 (2)

Absolutely. And what was with his white outfits? nt - tinear 16:53:22 11/25/07 (0)

Clearly, Woody didn't look old enough to be a VN vet. * - mr grits 10:06:20 11/24/07 (0)

Also liked it, however.... - troutbum 13:32:07 11/22/07 (2)

Remember, it IS a.... - mkuller 11:52:13 11/23/07 (1)

RE a "Goof" is almost obligatory in a Coen Bros. film - grinagog 19:43:39 11/23/07 (0)

I can't recommend it as strongly, but it is a powerful film. - Audiophilander 11:25:35 11/21/07 (4)

I heard the "collective hunh?" right next to me...... - mr grits 10:13:08 11/24/07 (0)

I know what you mean... - mkuller 11:30:54 11/21/07 (2)

Plus, it's telling the story of the book. (warning, spoilers) - sjb 11:45:42 11/21/07 (1)

The ending was way "literary", like McCarthy; all the foregoing had been filmic. - clarkjohnsen 06:39:46 11/22/07 (0)

Follow Ups

Plus, it's telling the story of the book. (warning, spoilers) - sjb 11:45:42 11/21/07 (1)

The ending was way "literary", like McCarthy; all the foregoing had been filmic. - clarkjohnsen 06:39:46 11/22/07 (0)

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