No Country For Old Men... and Rambling About Funny Games Again

Tonight I ran out to see No Country For Old Men, which had me hooked for two-thirds of the movie, and then the Coens decided to just throw any convention to the wind and go all philosophical on us.  I know I'm supposed to just go with their flow and not expect an ending all tied up nicely in a bow, but perhaps any package at all would have been nice.  It's beautifully lit, incredibly suspenseful at times, and Tommy Lee Jones' character has a wonderful way with words.  But for me, it fell apart as soon as they got to Vegas.

Completely digressing, however, the theater I attended showed the trailer for Funny Games, and I just get angrier than ever watching that thing.  Last week their PR agency sent me an email pointing to a clip from the film, which I reluctantly watched.  I'm going to be a jerk, not link to it, and spoil it for you, because it involved the killers murdering the family's dog.  Don't read the next paragraph if you don't want to have the part about the family's dead dog ruined for you.  Consider that my spoiler alert.

One of the killers is playing the "Warmer, Colder" game that we used to play as children.  Naomi Watts wanders around her yard based on the young man's warmer or colder commands, until she gets to the back of her car.  She opens it up, and her dead dog sickeningly spills out onto the ground.  Oh, and in other parts of the film, everyone in this innocent family is tortured and murdered, including their young boy... maybe 7 years old?  And the killers get away. The End.

Nice.  Spoilers are all finished.

I love the first amendment, and Michael Haneke can make (and remake) this film if he wants, but I reserve the right to have the opinion that the content is despicable.  Maybe the ends don't justify the means this time.  I don't say this lightly; I'm never the one saying Tarantino is evil, or rap music and internet porn will ruin our children, and I can't believe I'm saying these things without even having seen the film.  (I’ve read enough reviews of the original film to know what happens, I know the big twist, and I do know what Haneke is trying to comment upon.)

Look, I'm as liberal, jaded, and cynical as you get, and maybe Haneke is trying to snap me out of it.  Something about just the basic construct of this movie has crossed a line with me though, and this probably has more to do with me than the film… but it still turns my stomach.

Comments

[leap4joy]

Cool blog. I agree it fell apart when they got to Vegas. I just found a new site for movie trailers check it out www.movietrailershome.com

[Dennis in WV]

Craig, I chose to see this instead of Hitman this past week because Hitman had a 6% Tomatometer reading and No Country had a 96% reading, out of 144 reviews no less! Like you, I was mesmerized until the swimming pool and then was left with my jaw hanging over how unsatisfying the ending was. There was an audible gasp in the theater as everyone reacted to the sudden thought, "Is that all there is?!" There is obviously something brilliant happening here that I will eventually grasp. Until then, I will stick with my opinion that this is a pretty disappointing film.

I have been reading your site for years now, Craig. Usually check at least once per week. Keep up the interesting commentary.

[Craig Beilinson]

Hi Dennis - Good to hear from you!

I love comments like yours, as it reminds me (during my slow times) that there really are people reading the blog... so it definitely keeps me going!

Thrilled that you enjoy the site,
Craig