dispatches from quilt city

No Country for Old Men

Javier Bardem makes me uncomfortable.

I wouldn't say fearful or anxious, just extremely uncomfortable. And that's how I felt throughout this entire film. Extremely uncomfortable. There was not one moment that the Coen brothers allowed you to settle or passively watch. When you thought there was going to be intense confrontation, the moment passed. When you thought everyone was safe for the moment, the moment shattered...usually with the blast of a cattle gun.

So many films have been praised for excellent pacing, the gradual building of suspense that's supposed to drive the viewer crazy. However, I never really understood what people were talking about. I've seen films that were scary all the way through or had intensely suspenseful parts scattered throughout but never one like this. I finally understand what people were talking about. I felt like there was a metronome on my shoulder the entire time.

Javier Bardem was a huge part of this of course, but Tommy Lee Jones, brilliant as usual, really contributed to the intensity. He wasn't rushing back to the crime scene or chasing down the bad guy. His main job seemed to merely ponder the situation. In fact, the only person with a real sense of urgency was Josh Brolin's character, who you follow the entire time only to be absent from his final showdown.

Now, in full disclosure, Nicholas was not as big a fan as me, which is pretty surprising since that usually only happens with romantic comedies. He said he liked the movie but "didn't care about it." Neither of us are really sure what that means. However, with a 95% on RottenTomatos.com and a glowing recommendation from me, I think we can safely assume he's probably a little wrong on this one. :)