Okay, HYPE TIME OVER... No Country for Old Men: B-

[MrAngryFace]

Junos dumb. bobobobobo they talk fast and say things that are offensive to old people!

[demi]

one of those three actually used the word "pedestrian" when describing a movie

[FlameOfCallandor]

Juno tried to be too quirky. The characters were not realistic in any way. The dialogue was terrible. etc...

Knocked 4 lyfe

[The Fake Shemp]

Junos dumb. bobobobobo they talk fast and say things that are offensive to old people!

SHES A TEENAGER THATS PREGNANT. HES MICHAEL CERA.  HIJINKS ENSUE.  JUNO, A COMEDY FOR PRETENTIOUS TEENAGERS ABOUT PRETENTIOUS TEENAGERS.

[MrAngryFace]

[Van Cruncheon]

written by a GURL named DIABLO CODY

OMG

just OMG

:elf :elf :elf

[Joe Molotov]

Event Horizon is pedestrian. It would have been a lot better with Shia LeBouf in the role of Dr. William Weir, and Tommy Lee Jones instead of Laurence Fishburne, and Ron Howard directing it.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Event Horizon is pedestrian. It would have been a lot better with Shia LeBouf in the role of Dr. William Weir, and Tommy Lee Jones instead of Laurence Fishburne, and Ron Howard directing it.

 

[MrAngryFace]

ROX ROX ROX

[Bloodwake]

The only thing I am going to say about Juno, because it's obviously not this forum's taste in film, is that it's better than Little Miss Sunshine, and I think we can all agree on that.

[FlameOfCallandor]

I didnt see little miss sunshine...

[The Fake Shemp]

written by a GURL named DIABLO CODY

OMG

just OMG

:elf :elf :elf

SHE WAS NAKED LOL FEMINISM!

Little Miss Sunshine is the epitome of the overhyped indie film.  It was so underwhelming that I can only hope Juno can muster the competent screenwriting to be superior.

[Joe Molotov]

Also, Javier Bardem should have played the role of the demon that was raping the dude.

The tagline would have been:
"Where we're going, Anton Chigurh won't need eyes to rape you! In space!"

[Van Cruncheon]

The only thing I am going to say about Juno, because it's obviously not this forum's taste in film, is that it's better than Little Miss Sunshine, and I think we can all agree on that.

hey, i haven't seen no country yet. i loved fargo a whole lotta, and i don't consistently share willco's opinions on movies.

little miss sunshine > juno > garden state as KOLLEGE KID KWIRK movies go

[FlameOfCallandor]

I HATE garden state.

[Bloodwake]

The only thing I am going to say about Juno, because it's obviously not this forum's taste in film, is that it's better than Little Miss Sunshine, and I think we can all agree on that.

hey, i haven't seen no country yet. i loved fargo a whole lotta, and i don't consistently share willco's opinions on movies.

little miss sunshine > juno > garden state as KOLLEGE KID KWIRK movies go

No Country is similar to Fargo in many ways. The setting is one you usually don't see in film (unless you count Westerns for Texas, which you shouldn't due to the time period), the villains obviously are memorable (especially in No Country).

The biggest change for me is that Fargo had dark comedic aspects. No Country is just dark. I just draw parallels between the bleak snowscape in Fargo and the bleak empty plains in No Country.

[The Fake Shemp]

I love Fargo.  It's probably my favorite Coen Bros. production and this came close to eclipsing that film within the first 90 minutes.  Then, Tommy Lee Jones drags the movie into a boring nether region of film we can only call... The Twilight Zone.

[Robo]

Everything gets it credit in due time - even Prole admitting to liking Borat after the forum hype died down.  This is just the case of an overhyped, good-at-best film.

I hope you aren't trying to say this hype backlash thread is an example of NCFOM getting its "credit in due time".  I'm pretty sure that would entail waiting for a point when hype isn't such a consideration!

[Bloodwake]

Don't make me pick between the two films.

Fuck, Fargo is the more lighthearted. I mean, how fucked up is that. I'm calling Fargo lighthearted in a thread. Probably will come around and bite me in the ass one day.

[cubicle47b]

Overall, I really liked Juno.  The dialog was ridiculous but most of the time I found it and the characters amusing.  Also, I'm a sucker for the Moldy Peaches.

[The Fake Shemp]

I hope you aren't trying to say this hype backlash thread is an example of NCFOM getting its "credit in due time".  I'm pretty sure that would entail waiting for a point when hype isn't such a consideration!

I am pretty sure that such a thread would have the same faults with the film, but the dissapointment would be a lot less.  Again, my hype has to do with my personal affection for the Coen Bros. and the massive amounts of critical acclaim this film has garnered in a short period of time than anything this forum has said.

I like this film and I recommend fans of the Coen Bros. to go see it.  It's certainly worth your time.  But if you were expecting the next Fargo or the best film of 2007, you'll likely be dissapointed.  The only thing it has on Fargo is a more memorable villain, but a good bad guy does not make a great film necessarily.

[Van Cruncheon]

william h. macy

[Human Snorenado]

I think more people wanted another Big Lebowski, not another Fargo. I havent seen the movie cause im not in the mood for anything dire, even if it is well done.

Evidently. Even though Big Lebowski


WASN'T THAT GREAT.

Oh shit-

WHEN WILL YOU LEARN MOTHAFUCKA

[The Fake Shemp]

Also, I find Fargo much more sinister, because it exposes how evil the guy across the street can be and how we justify that kind of evil.  No Country for Old Men is really a bunch of violent people living in a violent world.  Tommy Lee Jones said it right when unnamed parties died of natural causes - it's natural to their line of work.  Fargo is like watching a trainwreck in motion, No Country for Old Men is not the same.

[T234]

I think more people wanted another Big Lebowski, not another Fargo. I havent seen the movie cause im not in the mood for anything dire, even if it is well done.

Evidently. Even though Big Lebowski


WASN'T THAT GREAT.

THEMS FIGHTIN WORDS, SKINNY MCONEWIFFANDRUNK

[Ichirou]

This thread is a fucking embarassment to Evilbore as a forum.

[Mandark]

Said it before.  Last chunk of NCFoM doesn't work for me.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

The movie builds up the cat and mouse between Llewelyn and Chigurh.  It does a great job of maintaining suspense despite the fatalism; the audience cares about Llewelyn's efforts to escape even though they know he's doomed.

Then the movie pulls one of the most abrupt shifts I can think of, kills a couple of important characters off-screen, and throws it over to Sheriff Bell, who contemplates evil.  Conclusions: It's bad, and you can't stop it.

If the Coens wanted to make a point about society's tenuous restraint on human malice, they did a much better job showing it in the body of the movie than they did lecturing about it in the tail.  If they just wanted to sucker the audience into rooting for a movie bad guy then scold them for doing so, that's a petty use of the art form.

[close]

It's a good movie.  I liked it.  I recommend it to anyone on the board.  But it has problems.

[Ichirou]

So you dislike the Coen Bros. for adapting the novel accurately?  The problems you have lie in the way the book's plot is structured (not that McCarthy novels have ever really been about plot), and the fact that the Coens were slavishly accurate to it 99% of the time.

[Van Cruncheon]

while i haven't seen the movie, slavish adherence to a novel's structure and narrative isn't always GOOD for cinema. i'd like to assume the coen bros know the difference, though.

still, the shining is all the better for tossing out some of king's tripe in favor of its own themes. on the other hand, i think children of men would have been improved in the area of characterization by including some of the motivations and scenes from the novel.

[Human Snorenado]

while i haven't seen the movie, slavish adherence to a novel's structure and narrative isn't always GOOD for cinema. i'd like to assume the coen bros know the difference, though.

still, the shining is all the better for tossing out some of king's tripe in favor of its own themes. on the other hand, i think children of men would have been improved in the area of characterization by including some of the motivations and scenes from the novel.

[maf]BUT BUT BUT CHILDREN OF MEN![/maf]

[lordmaji]

Damn, has it been a week already Wilco? :/

[Mandark]

I've heard that, but it doesn't really change the experience of seeing the movie, or the Coens' responsibility for its content.

They chose the source material and how to adapt it.  Whatever their decision-making process, I think the final product is flawed.

[Van Cruncheon]

while i haven't seen the movie, slavish adherence to a novel's structure and narrative isn't always GOOD for cinema. i'd like to assume the coen bros know the difference, though.

still, the shining is all the better for tossing out some of king's tripe in favor of its own themes. on the other hand, i think children of men would have been improved in the area of characterization by including some of the motivations and scenes from the novel.

[maf]BUT BUT BUT CHILDREN OF MEN![/maf]

note: isn't ALWAYS good. dune could have benefitted from better adherence (and yes, i know frank herbert did the screenplay), just like com. note that neither me or maf have called com a bad movie by ANY stretch.

[CajoleJuice]

Personally, the first hour and a half of the movie is so fucking awesome, that I can ignore the rest. And Bardem HAS to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I guess I basically agree with Mandark said.

[Saint Cornelius]

Tommy Lee Jones used to rent movies from the Blockbuster in San Antonio that I used to work at. No lie.

And yes, I was the stupid ass that once asked him for his card b/c I didn't know who he was.

[AdmiralViscen]

I think more people wanted another Big Lebowski, not another Fargo. I havent seen the movie cause im not in the mood for anything dire, even if it is well done.

Evidently. Even though Big Lebowski


WASN'T THAT GREAT.

big mistake


edit oh shit this thread is 3 pgs long

[Ichirou]

while i haven't seen the movie, slavish adherence to a novel's structure and narrative isn't always GOOD for cinema. i'd like to assume the coen bros know the difference, though.

Didn't say it was! I agree with you.  But I also think No Country For Old Men is one of the best movies I saw last year.  I agree with Willco that Tommy Lee Jones is just playing a variation on the characters he always plays (him and Morgan Freeman always play the same character types over and over), but he doesn't bring down the movie.

[Phoenix Dark]

while i haven't seen the movie, slavish adherence to a novel's structure and narrative isn't always GOOD for cinema. i'd like to assume the coen bros know the difference, though.

Didn't say it was! I agree with you.  But I also think No Country For Old Men is one of the best movies I saw last year.  I agree with Willco that Tommy Lee Jones is just playing a variation on the characters he always plays (him and Morgan Freeman always play the same character types over and over), but he doesn't bring down the movie.

I agree. It's the type of weak complaint, foundation-less complaint that pretends to be a valid objection. I'm sorry the film asks you to THINK instead of bashing indistinguishable metal together in half second shots.

[Ichirou]

Jesus, Transformers was bad.

[Van Cruncheon]

think? it sounds like the last 30 minutes TELLS. pd, don't latch onto ichi's bandwagon; he is far more reliable than you will ever hope to be.

[Phoenix Dark]

You haven't seen the movie, and this is no thread for old men

[Van Cruncheon]

hence, "it SOUNDS like"

[Phoenix Dark]

Sounds like failure to me!

[CajoleJuice]

Sounds like failure to me!

The last 30 minutes of the movie? Pretty much, yea.

[Phoenix Dark]

The last 10 minutes or so aren't particularly great, but they don't ruin the film. I actually agree with Mandark 100% about the

spoiler (click to show/hide)

off screen deaths

[close]

That was annoying. But the final scene is good in the sense that it explains certain things. It really ties in with the opening monologue

[Ichirou]

Happens that way in the book, too.  Really threw me off for a second, had to re-read those last few pages to get a handle on what McCarthy had done.  I applaud the Coens for having the cojones to do it that way, and it had the effect of getting a lot of people talking about the movie, which is always good come awards-time.

I think it works, personally.  I actually like how it's done in the movie even more than how the events were portrayed in the book.

And damn, Josh Brolin can act.  I never woulda thought it.

[The Fake Shemp]

The problem is not with the adaptation - it's with the actor.  The movie essentially relies on a peformance that you even agree is merely adequate at best.  And I'm sorry if I'm not enthralled with 30 minutes of a merely adequate peformance that abruptly stops a great film.  If it weren't for the fact that the first 90 minutes were so good, it'd be a deal breaker altogether, but as is, it's just a good film.

[Ichirou]

No, I think it's actually a good performance, it's just not far removed from the type of stuff Tommy Lee Jones usually plays.  I don't think it brings the movie down at all.

[Vizzys]

Basically if this forum likes a movie, I expect it to tear it down within two weeks.

http://www.evilbore.com/forum/index.php?topic=6120.0

hey I liked it

just a wtf ending

[Phoenix Dark]

The problem is not with the adaptation - it's with the actor.  The movie essentially relies on a peformance that you even agree is merely adequate at best.  And I'm sorry if I'm not enthralled with 30 minutes of a merely adequate peformance that abruptly stops a great film.  If it weren't for the fact that the first 90 minutes were so good, it'd be a deal breaker altogether, but as is, it's just a good film.

You haven't explained why you didn't like the performance; so far you've just continued saying it was meh or whatever, as if that's a fact. I thought it was a good performance. The delivery was rather monotone and deadpan, but that could be said of most of the southern drawls throughout the entire film. This wasn't a role where he was required to do anything particularly difficult in terms of range, but I certainly didn't see anything that made me say wait a minute, that was a horrible performance.


Great insight on some of the themes:
http://www.evilbore.com/forum/index.php?topic=14735.msg388398#msg388398

[The Fake Shemp]

I guess reading is fundamental:

The problem is that the home stretch relies on a heavyhanded character arc for Tommy Lee Jones, who turns in one of the most forced Oscar "for your consideration" reels I've seen in awhile.

Not to mention I've said throughout that Tommy Lee Jones gives a derivative performance, something that even Ichirou agrees with.  I guess if you enjoy watching Tommy Lee Jones play the same character every time, you'll really love this!  The movie is on his shoulders and it is far too heavy for him to carry.  And yes, it's entirely possible to try a forced attempt at an Oscar nomination - it's pretty transparent here.  There are certain things you try to emulate, in terms of past success and what not, to compress in a "for your consideration" reel to get those Academy votes.  Hell, there are entire films that are now manufactured for an Oscar - they're released around awards time, they feature themes and concepts that prey upon Academy voter sensibilities and do a good job at trying to emulate films that have won the so-called prestigious award before.

And who doesn't get the theme?  Tommy Lee Jones spends an eternity spoonfeeding you the theme during the last 30 minutes, which is kind of dumb, because even as FoC noted, you pretty much understand the gist of his character earlier on through interaction and discussion with the other characters.  Although, you might not have gotten it if it was a bit more subtle.

[Phoenix Dark]

Can you give another example of a forced Oscar performance? Like, in recent memory?

[The Fake Shemp]

The worst offender in recent memory was Julianne Moore in Freedomland.

[Eric P]

Can you give another example of a forced Oscar performance? Like, in recent memory?

the film crash?

[The Fake Shemp]

Can you give another example of a forced Oscar performance? Like, in recent memory?

the film crash?