I ended up with some time on Saturday night after the Pycon 2008 conference so I went to a movie. I figured I would go to a movie that only I would like – something intellectual and arty. So I went to “No Country for Old Men” as the time was right and I had no idea what it was about.
First the good news
The acting was excellent – there were many richly developed characters and there was plenty of on-screen time for the characters to develop. The filmography was superb – it transported you to wherever they wanted you to be – the feeling of Texas – the vastness – the solitude. The feeling of isolation when you are running away – the lighting to enhance the scene – all superb. The editing was excellent – they moved from scene to scene nicely – not so quick as to get you all excited – but at the same time not obsessing on any one moment – just enough for you to fully comprehend and reflect – and then on to the next scene.
Now the bad news
The plot left me a little wanting. Usually when you get to know a bunch of characters very deeply – you want the characters to interact. This pretty much was one of those buddy/travel films – kind of like “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” but with a lot of shooting. But the violence was filmed very effectively – again taking you to the place where the film maker wanted you to go.
Overall
I am glad I went to this move and paid a bunch of money at the theater to see it. I am also glad that no one came with me to see the film. Under my geek/Star Wars fan exterior – I very much appreciate the film as art form. My first class in college was a literature and film class (ENG347) which explored a bunch of black and white films by Francois Truffaut. This film reminded me of film as art.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran