Tonight I saw the movie No Country for Old Men, which I had no desire to see, but surprisingly I found the film extremely interesting and really appreciated it. Artistically speaking it was very well done. I appreciated the minimalism which let the compelling story speak for itself. I thought the acting was great in all roles major and minor. With almost no music and no glitz, this down and dirty movie struck me with its honesty in portraying some very ugly truths. I was worried about seeing this movie for fear of excessive or glamorized violence, but refreshingly my fears were unwarranted in this case. While there is a great deal of violence, I didn't think it was over-the-top, rather it was a necessary component to the story. (This is a story about a drug-deal gone wrong and cold-hearted serial killer after-all.) The humor is dry and dark, but appropriate for a tale such as this and doesn't break with the atmosphere and tension the story casts, but rather enhances it. I won't give away the ending, but I found it very poignant and profound. The ending is actually what tied together the film for me and helped me to fully appreciate the story. (If you have seen it you will maybe find this slightly ironic.) At any rate, that's my two-cents and if you think you can stomach the violence and darkness of this modern-day Western I recommend this film to you.

Labels: art, films, movie review, movies