Just Say "No" to Drug Money

We watched No Country For Old Men last night and I really liked it despite the ho-hum previews I had seen of it.  In retrospect, I felt the same way about Fargo.  The trailers were pretty low-key and provided very little details about the movie, but once I saw Fargo I couldn't stop watching it. To date, I have probably seen Fargo a dozen times. My obsession with No Country is already just as consuming; I may even skip Olie's soccer game for another viewing. 

Javier Bardem, with his funky haircut and soft Spanish accent, is a superb, if not eccentric, villain. He is quiet yet lethal, just like Peter Stormare was in Fargo.  He sends shivers up your spine, but you don't want him to die because it will put an end to the delicious suspense. You also don't want him to kill the protagonist because he's a good guy, too.  It is a conundrum of noir proportions.

Good villains, interesting commentary on life and death, and the refreshing ability to provoke thought and discussion make No Country an instant cult classic in my book.  That's all I will tell you about this movie because - really - you should see it for yourself.  A warning, though: Don't see this film because it won the Academy Award for Best Picture or because Tommy Lee Jones is in it (did you know that?  I didn't).  See this film because it's good and the Coen brothers are very adept at creating film noir that will keep you interested, which in this era of teen movies, slasher flicks, and stupid comedies, is a welcome change, indeed.