Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin in the Coen Brothers movie ‘No Country for Old Men’

Crime. Drama. Thrills. Intensely drawn characters. The movie No Country for Old Men (2007) as directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen is drawn from the 2005 Cormac McCarthy book No Country for Old Men. The dark violence and stylistic complexity from the book translated to the something equally dark and complex with the movie. Join us in learning a bit more.

(From left, Kelly Macdonald as Carla Jean Moss and Josh Brolin as Llewelyn Moss in the Ethan Coen and Joel Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

We come upon hunter Llewelyn Moss in the western fringes of Texas in the desert near El Paso when Moss discovers the aftermath of a drug deal gone horribly wrong. Moss, as portrayed by Josh Brolin, does nothing to render aid for the lone survivor of the carnage; he does decide to walk away with the large sum of money along the way. Moss offers few details to his wife Carl Jean, as portrayed by Kelly Macdonald, when getting home with the spoils. The pair are clear with one another that the heat of those looking to recover the money will be looking for them.

(From left, Tommy Lee Jones as Ed Tom Bell and Garret Dillahunt as Wendell in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

The notion that someone who would know that their money was missing would come behind the desert carnage was of little mystery to sheriff Ed Tom Bell and deputy Wendell. Tommy Lee Jones and Garret Dillahunt portrayed the sheriff and deputy, respectively. Bell, who we learn had been sheriff from a young age, aims to help Llewelyn and Carla Jean Moss navigate this situation with their lives, if he could. We find that Bell is on a journey of his own through the course of this movie.

(From left, Gene Jones as Gas Station Proprietor and Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in the Ethan Coen and Joel Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

That the single-minded, psychopathic and eccentric Anton Chigurh is on a mission to recover the stolen money soon becomes clear. That Chigurh isn’t your typical man out for money is clear as Chigurh has an intense yet brief interaction with a Gas Station Proprietor as portrayed by Gene Jones. Javier Bardem portrayed Anton Chigurh. Besides having armed himself with a homemade sawed-off shotgun with a coffee-can silencer and a trademark compressed air-driven cattle gun, Chigurh carries with him an eccentric philosophical conviction that he is merely an agent of fate.

(Stephen Root as Man who hires Carson Wells in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

Multiple men are pursuing the recovery of the money in the wind from the drug deal gone wrong. Carson Wells, as portrayed by Woody Harrelson, pursues Chigurh and the money after being hired for expressly this purpose by the character portrayed by Stephen Root. Wells aids in bolstering the backstory of Anton Chigurh, whose eccentricity defies explanation for some without the explication a scene between Wells and the man who hired him offers.

(From left, Woody Harrelson as Carson Wells and Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in the Ethan Coen and Joel Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

The fates of many are messy throughout the course of No Country for Old Men. Few if any come out of the mayhem of this story clean, with Chigurh, Wells and others are sharing in some measure of this fate. Where the characters stake their claim in this regard feels like a clear and present message throughout the film. This thematic exploration offers a measuring stick for the success of the storytelling, if my estimation offers a sufficient guidepost for your thoughts of this film.

(From left, actor Javier Bardem, director Joel Coen and director Ethan Coen on site of the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie No Country for Old Men).

The movie No Country for Old Men earned three BAFTAs and four Academy Awards in 2008 for direction, acting and adapted screenplay. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen adapted the screenplay from the Cormac McCarthy book, with Javier Bardem claiming a BAFTA and an Academy Award. I grant the movie No Country for Old Men as directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck and the film ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’

A recent conversation with Airport Friend and others brought me to a Western directed by Andrew Dominik set in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) includes true characters from the history of the United States, including outlaw Jesse James, criminal Robert Ford, and others. This blog post highlights the movie and offers a rating on whether you should tune in.

(From left, Mary-Louise Parker as Zee James, Brooklynn Proulx as Mary James, Dustin Bollinger as Tim James and Brad Pitt as Jesse James in the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

The core family of Jesse James, as portrayed by Brad Pitt, included Mary-Louise Parker as Zee James as well as the children James and Mary. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shows Jesse James to ostensibly be a caring and engaged father with his kids, as additions to the leader of thieving outlaws that he also was. A part of the crew when Robert Ford introduces himself into the fray was Robert Ford‘s brother, Charley Ford.

(From left, Casey Affleck as Robert Ford and Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford in the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

Casey Affleck portrays Robert Ford whereas Sam Rockwell portrays Charley Ford. Charley Ford is the elder brother of Robert, which proved to be part of the way Robert Ford was introduced to the outlaws. Robert’s initiative with the brother of Jesse James, namely outlaw Frank James, played a part.

(From left, Sam Shepard as Frank James and Garret Dillahunt as Ed Miller in the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

The notion of family grows through the telling of the movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Frank and Jesse James were legends in their own rights, which were parts of the credibility and backstory many viewers brought into this film. The brothers had mutual trust and respect, though the mechanics of that story weren’t the feature narrative of this film. The relationship of Jesse James with the band of outlaws, including Ed Miller as portrayed by Garret Dillahunt, proves to have significance.

(From left, Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil and Jeremy Renner as Robert Woodson ‘Wood’ Hite in the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

Jeremy Renner played Robert Woodson ‘Wood’ Hite, first cousin to the James brothers in film. Dick Liddil, as played by Paul Schneider, joins in the story in furtherance of the background story for Jesse James and Robert Ford. Comic relief as well as that backstory were the relevant takeaways I made for the presence of Liddil and Hite. Without giving things away, and generally thinking audience’s can infer as they please from the titles of movies, I perhaps have pointed you to an important dramatic thrust for the film.

(From left, film director and screenwriter Andrew Dominik with Brad Pitt on location for the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

I appreciate the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which works hard to establish mood through narrative and cinematic storytelling. Music, imagery, and camera angles all contributed to the move the notion of Western away from some of the conventional movie tropes that accompany the genre. Addressing whether the proposed assassination was in fact cowardly, and the perceptions of some key characters within the storyline helped. How the final threads came together were weaker for me than I would have preferred, though I do like the path Andrew Dominik took in getting us to what finished fully. I rate The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford at 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, October 10, 2020

Viola Davis, Colin Farrell and the film ‘Widows’

Thanks to the British mini-series Widows (1983-1985). That 7-episode series inspired the film featuring an ensemble cast in modern-day Chicago, Illinois. The plot follows four women attempting to steal $5 million from the home of a prominent local politician to pay $2 million to a local crime boss. The women’s husbands were killed in a botched getaway attempt from that local crime boss. The film that resulted is Widows (2018).

(Screenwriter Gillian Flynn left, and Screenwriter/Director Steve McQueen of the film Widows).

Writing credits for the film go to director Steve McQueen and writer Gillian Flynn. The film opens with the depiction of a $2-million theft from a crime boss aiming for Chicago alderman named Jamal Manning. Manning (portrayed by Brian Tyree Henry) and his brother Jatemme (as portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya) are the initial crime victims who give Veronica (as portrayed by Viola Davis) the ultimatum to return the cash set on fire in one month’s time.

(Daniel Kaluuya as Jatemme Manning, left, and Brian Tyree Henry, right, as Jamal Manning in the film Widows).

The heist gone wrong was established by Harry Rawlings, as portrayed by Liam Neeson, husband to Veronica. The spouses Linda (as portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (as portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki), and Amanda (as portrayed by Carrie Coon) died in the fire. For a significant portion of the film, it was presumed that Harry Rawlings had also died and left a book depicting his past crimes for Veronica to use for extortion purposes following his presumed passing.

(Liam Neeson as Harry Rawlings and Viola Davis as Veronica in the film Widows).

Unable to gain a meaningful extortion from the criminal past of her husband, Veronica convinced Linda and Alice to participate in the detailed heist left behind by Harry Rawlings. Alice, under coercion by her mother (as portrayed by Jacki Weaver), enters almost immediately into an exclusive sexual relationship for money. The arrangement leads to the acquisition of plans used to execute the theft planned by the widows. Alice recruits a fourth of the widow heist in Belle, as played by Cynthia Erivo. Amanda as a new mother, and in a extra-marital relationship with Harry Rawlings, chose not to participate in the heist.

(Michelle Rodriguez as Linda, left, and Elizabeth Debicki as Alice in the film Widows).

The home that Veronica and three ladies were do to rob was the home of current alderman of the eight ward of Chicago, Tom Mulligan (as played by Robert Duvall). Mulligan is a corrupt, bigoted, gruff old politician beset with the political sense of a criminal politician that expects and gives loyalty. Mulligan’s son, Jack, is running for alderman against crime boss Jamal Manning, and is complicit in the graft of his father. Jack Mulligan and Tom Mulligan have differing views for how to run Jack’s campaign for alderman, yet aims to keep the family (and his son) relevant to Chicago politics.

(From left to right, Carrie Coon as Amanda, Cynthia Erivo as Belle and Robert Duvall as Tom Mulligan in the film Widows).

Jack Mulligan reveals himself as the crook you hope he isn’t in the face of contentious conversations between he and his father. Campaign aid Siobhan (as played by Molly Kunz) serves on Jack’s inner circle, in fact aiming to talk truth about the nature of his leadership when Jack experiences self-doubt. The truth of Jack’s nature evolves over the course of the film, perhaps making the telling of his character one of the more relevant and rewarding of the entire film. A similar depth of narrative arc for Veronica and Alice are explored through the course of the film.

(From left to right, Viola Davis as Veronica, Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan and Molly Kunz as Siobhan in the film Widows).

There is surprising depth of action and character through the course of this film. The audience reception to this film had to do with the side stories that gave the viewing some intelligence, in my opinion. My sense is the film offers more than it has too, with some clues and twists that ultimately pan out well if not exceptionally. I further enjoyed the means through which the traditional script for this type of film was flipped to allow for women, including minority women, to take leading roles. My grade for Widows is 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, September 04, 2019

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and the movie ‘Looper’

The Rian Johnson written and directed movie Looper (2012) represents the film that rose the director’s acclaim and profile in Hollywood profile significantly in the American movie making industry. The Turner Classic Movie profile of Johnson largely describes the film as “a mind-bending sci-fi action thriller,” which in a slightly involved plot stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as the same character.

(Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, top, and Bruce Willis as Old Joe in the movie Looper).

Looper sets out with the beginning of the film to introduce the audience to corporate assassin Joe in the year 2047, as portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Joe serves as the central protagonist and narrator for the film, as much of the background is not easily revealed without the sharing of this backstory. We as the audience learn that time travel is invented sometime after the “present day 2047,” and that it immediately is made illegal and used as a black market means of committing murder in the future and disposing of the evidence in the past. We learn that Joe, our narrator, is a looper who performs the illicit deeds involved of murder and disposal. Upon occasion, a looper must close a loop, which means kill and dispose of his or her elder counterpart. Bruce Willis plays Old Joe from 30 years in the future.

(Jeff Daniels as Abe, top, and Paul Dano as Seth in the movie Looper).

Jeff Daniels as Abe lives in the same era as Joe, as portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Abe was born in the future and sent back to the present era portrayed in the movie to serve as the head of the organization running the looper enterprise. Abe aims to select and manage the loopers, which includes having cultivated Joe. Fellow looper Seth, as portrayed by Paul Dano, comes to Joe for aid when he could close his loop and allowed him to escape. In showing us the demise of Seth and the interplay between the current day and the effect it has on Old Seth, Looper writer and director Rian Johnson foreshadows what could happen if and when Joe’s loop is called.

(Emily Blunt as Sara, top, and Pierce Gagnon as Cid in the movie Looper).

Looper as a movie gets little into how history may have changed due to present day 2047 injuries to Seth, yet the story quickly moves into the story for how Joe interacts with Old Joe and the farming family of Sara and Cid, both possessing a telekinetic ability that we learned of from the narration of Joe earlier in the movie. Emily Blunt plays Sara and Pierce Gagnon plays Cid. The narrative of these two are relevant and satisfying to me as a reviewer, though I choose to leave their role a mystery for those choosing to view the film.

(Qing Xu as Old Joe’s wife, top, and Piper Perabo as Suzie in the movie Looper).

The narrative of Old Joe’s wife and Joe’s female interest Suzie, are relevant yet less satisfying to me as a reviewer. These two offer something of a different nature than do Sara and Cid, yet I am less satisfied with the way the larger arc of their stories are resolved. I too choose to leave their role a mystery for those choosing to view the movie, though share these two for those who might need an R-rating to be attracted to Looper as a movie.

(Rian Johnson wrote and directed the movie Looper).

The movie does offer an emotional punch of an ending that leaves you feeling sympathy for the moral stake taken by characters operating from a large sense of moral depravity largely through the movie. Part of what makes the central characters sympathetic is that we see people making their best with a difficult and degrading situation and metaphorically playing the hand of cards they were dealt. In any meaningful context where you think about things deeply, this dodges a larger and relevant point about decency. Since Looper is a movie designed for entertaining adults for a period of time, my view of the film is taken at the level of conceit through which the movie views itself. Therefore, my rating is 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five stars.

Matt – Saturday, June 8, 2019