Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

I took a lot of shit for writing an open-letter editorial about the Coen Bros a few years ago. I love Joel and Ethan Coen’s work, and I believed in them as much as, if not more than, any other working filmmakers. Until INTOLERABLE CRUELTY and THE LADYKILLERS, both of which I thought were empty, plastic, a sad shadow of what the Coens are capable of. Those films... they broke my heart as a fan.

So I’m really excited to hear about this film, a dark, dark, dark adaptation of a dark, dark, dark Cormac McCarthy book. McCarthy’s hotshot right now, thanks to Oprah’s endorsement of THE ROAD, and if this film marks a return to form for the Bros, I will dance a happy jig. I was excited before, but this guy’s reaction...

... well, read it for yourself:

Hi Harry,

I just came out of the screening for No Country for Old Men that was held at the Lincoln Center AMC.

This is the second time in a row I've seen a Coen Bros. movie for free (the first being The Ladykillers), and this was by far more worth my time. I'm a huge Coen Bros fan, like most everyone in their right mind. I had never heard of Cormac McCarthy before Oprah put THE ROAD on her bookclub. For some reason, when she described it, I bought it and devoured it in one sitting. Perhaps one of the greatest books I ever read. Then I went out and bought NCfOM, and told myself I'd read it at some point this year.

This past Friday I got a call from my movie guy saying there was going to be a screening for "NCfOM, a new movie by the Coen Bros." Well, I flipped out and signed up immediately. I then picked up the book and was immediately sucked in and again finished a Cormac McCarthy book in one sitting. I loved the banter between the characters and imagining the settings and of course the intense violence. As i read the book I tried to picture how the Coen Bros would handle this material. I was hoping it would be more BLOOD SIMPLE and less FARGO. I wanted them to retain the intensity and the amazing dialogue without making it tongue in cheek or over the top.

From the beginning of the movie I could tell that this movie was a true return to form for the great Coens. This is a slow, methodical telling that is surprisingly funny in parts. The laughter sometimes comes from the uncomfortable situations, and sometimes from a few unexpected things... like the mariachi band in particular.

The performances in this are top notch. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurgh, the killer, is one of the scariest portrayals as someone without a sense of empathy or humanity. He does have morals and he does live by a code, but they are so warped by his psychosis that if you didn't laugh, you'd probably flee in fear. Josh Brolin - who the hell is this guy? He was great in Planet Terror and he was great in this. If he's done anything else, he's been invisible and never made an impression on me. I hope he continues to work with good directors so that he can continue to improve and grow. Woody Harrelson - a small part, and probably what you'd call the "comic relief" of the film. He is sarcastic rather than ha ha funny. Stephen Root - glad to see him working with the Coens again. He's more different than he's ever been. A very small part, but yet again he's great in it.

Tommy Lee Jones. This is the Tommy Lee we learned to love and admire all those years ago. He exudes a quiet intensity. A man who is tired with life and doesn't know what else he can contribute. It’s a sad performance. I can't say its a heroic performance because, well, the ending is too realistic

As for the technical side of the film, Roger Deakins yet again turns in an amazing job. His colors are beautiful, his composition is crisp. I don't really know what I'm talking about. All i know is that the movie is drop dead beautiful. The west Texas landscape is desolate but full of colors (all of them being a variant of beige).

The music - the best I've never heard in a movie.

That's right, there was no music whatsoever in the film, except the good ol' mariachi band. I loved this touch. When we read books, there is no soundtrack to accompany them. This is a good thing. When the story is strong and the dialogue is strong, and they do their job of creating an emotional feeling in you, a soundtrack is superfluous.

In closing, I look forward to this coming out for real. I'm curious to see how it plays at Cannes and if the American audience is able to handle such an intense (sorry I know I've used the word 100 times, but it fits) story.

thanks,
Darth Noodle