Coen Bros. beating Tarantino at his own game ?

Is this some sort of Mayo/Kermode 'change one letter in a film title' thread??? Cos if it is that's a good one – but odd has two D's 🙂

oops 😳

Really good film. Loved it.

Nah! Unless your talking being as equally overrated as Deathproof.

just discussing with mrs tlr – i just think it's 'better' than tarantino's offerings other than pulp fiction.
the shock factor in ncfom is played and weighted magically imo.

A+ IMO loved it

Classic. Should've had it in my fave movies of all time.
Big fan of the Coen's and the air of menace from Javier Wassisface was fantastic.

Is it called No Country For Old Men because virtually everyone dies before they have a chance to get old or because once he's retired, there's no meaning to his life anymore ? Or both ? Maybe even something I hadn't thought of ?

Yep – love the coen brothers and NCFOM was up to their usual standard. My personal favourite though is Fargo, made more special for me for having spent some time in Minneapolis over the last few years.

I got to say 'yar yar you betcha' and 'I aint darn tootin' a lot and not sound like a pillock.

Great book.

Great film.

Great ending – though you are free to disagree.

beat me to it geetee. I love NCFOM but it isn't quite as good as Fargo. I do love the big wide shots of not a lot though, particularly all the trucks at night.

Funny Luckin'

Ja Ja

I really liked it, a complete change of pace from their usual films, and a bit of a nod to the seventies when Hollywood films were actually worth remembering.
I'm not sure if I like the general tone in Cormac McCarthy's books- the nostalgia for the old fashioned god-fearin' values of mid western settlers-but the film stays fairly faithful, and brings out some great, quite compelling characters, Llewellyn Moss in particular.
I got a wee bit irritated by Tommy Lee Jones's slightly maudlin gravity but that odd, bitter ending is something you dont see in US cinema much these days.
If you dont like this film first time, you should watch it again, because its definately a grower.

I have to say I do enjoy the 'randomness of life' aspect to the Coen brothers' films.

i want his hair…

Great film

but…..

The book leaves you clinging to the hope that he didn't kill the girl at the end – she wouldn't call the coin, so a bit of you thought that maybe meant he couldn't kill her. In the film he wipes blood off his shoe as he leaves. I wanted to believe he spared her.

If you've not read any of McCarthy's books, they're all fantastic. The Road is particularly grim (especially if you've a young son!). Been made into a film too.

big fan of his books and this film, one of my favourites

looking forward to seeing The Road

I read the book before watching the film, and I was a bit disappointed with the film. I still enjoyed it, but thought the book was better.

The Road is grim, but quite moving.

I can't really make a comparison with Tarantino's offerings, as they seem like a different genre. Tarantino injects a certain humour into all his films that is lacking from Old Country; be it the music, the hundreds of quotable lines, I don't know.

I do think, however, that the Coen Bros films are usually hilarious; Old country just isn't.

Yes. I cant see any similarity to Tarantino, either ( well, apart from the trailer fight scenes in Raising Arizona/ Kill Bill pt 2!)aside from a regard for the qualities of the best American filmaking.
Both different, both good.

I havnt read the book but I am going to keep and eye out for it.

I think its one of those films where different people have different takes on it. Ive lent it to a few friends and well think it means something different.

I personally think its about how the world has changed compared to when Jones was younger, how things that he found shocking as a young county sheriff are tame compared to the goings on in the film. My friends partially agreed but held differing opinions.

Either way I think its fantastic, one of the best modern films Ive seen in a while.

Can't see any similarity to anything Tarantino has done, other than the fact that NCFOM was kinda hyped. Everything Tarantino has done since Pulp fiction has been feeding off the buzz around pulp, and Reservoir Dogs, and if they'd been made exactly the same by anyone else they would have been ignored as the sh!te that they are.

NCOFM was a good film, but not great. To me, the only thing that made it stand out, (other than the performance from the wierd looking guy) was the suspense around the coin toss, and the fact that you just don't know which way it's going to go.

The thing I find troubling about McCarthy's Texan characters is that they always seem to have a folksy dislike of the new, and we're supposed to sympathise with their nostalgia for the traditional vaues of the west, ignoring the fact that the country that they love was built on violence and bloodshed as bad as any that they rail against now.

i find it odd when people say that the book of NCFOM is better than the film – its about the only film I can think of where it seems to be an almost perfect recreation of a book on film, something to do with the stripped down narrative I think

plenty of decent films based on books, but they are never "the same"

the coen's first feature (blood simple) was a bit of an influence on Tarantino I think, not much to compare in their recent films though

hope to see the new Coens film in the next few days, its getting great reviews

Good reviews dont always mean sh*t IMO,
Burn after Reading* got mostly crap reviews, but I thought it was tightly written and very funny- especially Clooney smashing up his wifes 'present'
* Why was it called Burn after Reading though , It seemed to me to be set in America?

I thought No Country For Old Men was all style and no substance.

I was intrigued as I watched NCFOM but left feeling like I'd missed something. I think I should watch it again. I normally adore coen brother's work, Fargo is an incredible film.

Tarantino did 2 good films, the rest since have had nothing to make me enjoy them.

tino = tat

coen = quality

I enjoyed burn after reading too

the only coens film I didn't really like was the ladykillers, evan their "worst" films are better than most

I havnt read the book but I am going to keep and eye out for it.

Just walk into a book shop and look under Fiction>McM….

The thing I find troubling about McCarthy's Texan characters is that they always seem to have a folksy dislike of the new, and we're supposed to sympathise with their nostalgia for the traditional values of the west, ignoring the fact that the country that they love was built on violence and bloodshed as bad as any that they rail against now.

I've always thought that was a large part of what McCarthy was trying to communicate, in an uncharacteristically American way.

its about the only film I can think of where it seems to be an almost perfect recreation of a book on film

Except that all important (for me at least) thought that the psycho didn't smudge her brains out with a bolt 'gun', because she wouldn't play along with his clearly fu€ked up 'coin flip kismet' game.

I thought No Country For Old Men was all style and no substance

? it's a film – an art form, where style is supposed to be conjured up from the substance from the original writer. For substance watch documentaries, surely. Script, casting and most of all direction are outstanding.

brilliant film, brilliant book similar but different adaptations are always gonna be a bit different they did as good a job as possible

the haircut will never leave me to that was **** genius

Found the film mildly amusing at first, but it became more ploddingly dull and self-important as it went along. Felt like a film designed to win oscars…

The most over-rated film I have ever seen, and I really like most of the Coen brothers work. The main bad guy is extremely unconvincing and the film just peters out. Shockingly poor really.

it's a film – an art form, where style is supposed to be conjured up from the substance from the original writer. For substance watch documentaries, surely.

Huh? I totally agree the film is complete style over substance – looks great and is moodily atmospheric but the characters and story are extremely un-engaging and unconvincing.

I really don't know if I liked it 🙂 but it kept me watching till the very end at some crazy hour of the morning which says a lot I guess.