"No Country for Old Men" (2007)

Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy

Written and Directed by the Cohen brothers (Ethan and Joel Cohen)

Tommie Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson

The Cormac McCarthy novel this film is based on creates a compelling, though curious, structure of space, setting, and storyline that combines tension and action (there is no shortage of gunfights) with a deeply philosophical sense of timelessness and reflection on the human condition. The Coen brothers did an excellent job of preserving that feeling in their film, and, with the exception of an oddly duded-up Woody Harrelson as the second professional hit-man in the movie, chose actors whose portrayal of their characters was nothing short of beautiful. Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn is easily identified with, despite (or because of?) the character’s bad choices and stubborn refusal to capitulate. His acting is truly an art, and one forgets there is a separation between actor and character. Javier Bardem’s Chigurh is quietly eloquent in his evil philosophy, and earned my grudging respect as he doggedly carried out his dirty task. Finally, Tommie Lee Jones was well picked to channel gruff Sheriff Bell’s frustrated helplessness at the state of violence in his part of the world.

Characters:

The film primarily follows three men:

• Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommie Lee Jones), whose gravelly narrative voice recalls with nostalgia the better times of his grandfather and father (also lawmen), when a Sheriff didn’t even carry a gun;
• Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) a Vietnam veteran and slow-talking, deliberate, rough-cowboy type who takes a dangerous chance on wealth, and also makes a dangerous decision of mercy, and then attempts to survive the consequences; and
• Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a hired killer who hunts Llewelyn (among others), and who carries out murders with the absolute necessity and utter professionalism of a jungle cat. His is easily the most fascinating character, with the chilling nature of a cold-blooded killer augmented by intense nihilistic pride, and a bizarre sense of honor.

Themes:

1. These are bad times we’re in… but then this is nothing new.

Sheriff Ed Tom propels this theme, as he recalls earlier times and compares them to the insanity and killing he experiences with growing frequency in his line of work. Keep an eye out for a hilarious exchange late in the film between him and another Sheriff about the youth of the day (this is set in 1980), with their “blue hair”. Ed Tom also has a key scene in which he discusses the possibility of retirement with Ellis (Barry Corbin), a retired and disabled deputy who worked with his grandfather. Ellis points out that people have been killing one another for no good reason for a long time (“this country is hard on people” … “this ain’t nothing new, what you’re facing”), and it’s not likely to change (“the future is coming, and it won’t wait for you”).

2. Life is no more than a series of chance occurrences…
This is Anton Chigurh’s guiding principle. In two scenes, he bets another person’s life on a coin toss, with a deadly serious commitment to either outcome. One also gets the sense that these coin tosses provide him with the rare, intense enjoyment of being able to experience pure chance firsthand. At the end of the film, there is a scene in which it first appears that Chigurh will be “rewarded” for his evil, appropriately, in a chance accident, but in a twist McCarthy denies viewers the satisfaction of divine retribution.

Conclusion:

If you're up for taking an intense two-hour tour of humanity's underbelly, then this movie is for you. If you enjoy "The Shield," you'll enjoy this movie.

21 (2008)

21, a film adaptation of Ben Mezrich's Bringing Down the House, is a bit more fictional than the book, but quite entertaining. The plot is based (in this case, loosely) on the true story of five MIT math students who developed a team-based system to beat a Vegas blackjack pit. The kids count cards, which isn't technically illegal, but is frowned upon by the casinos and the thugs they hire to "dissuade" would-be cheaters. One such thug, and former card counter (Laurence Fishburne), has a special interest in the team, and works to help the casinos keep their money.

While the movie's "plot twists" are fairly predictable, the cast is engaging and the story itself is appealing. The newest member of the team, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), is innocent but brilliant and is (predictably) corrupted by his success at card counting. His committment to the team is strengthened (again, predictably) by the presence of love-interest Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth). The mentoring - he actually says "you remind me of myself" - of Professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) gets him in the game, but (again, predictably) eventually the student must challenge the teacher.

An entertaining movie based on a true story, 21 is a fast-paced film peppered with clever, snarky dialogue. The actors are well-cast, and give the performances one expects. The movie devolves from a unique and true story of the no-longer-possible exploits of a bunch of whiz-kids into a morality tale, but I'd say it's a good rental anyway.

Burn After Reading (2008)

The Coen brothers strike again. Their newest film, Burn After Reading, is a black comedy following former CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) and the oversexed (George Clooney), inept (Brad Pitt), self-centered (Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton), or simply confused (J.K. Simmons, David Rasche) people thrust into the intrigue after he writes down his memoirs on his PC.

The star-studded cast does not disappoint. Standout performances by Malkovich, Clooney, Pitt, McDormand, and Swinton are funny and heartbreaking as they (poorly) attempt to find what they want, even as "they're all sleeping with each other." The classic Coen brothers elements are all present in this movie: Poorly-executed subterfuge, the juxtaposition of placing horrific violence in humorous situations, and an elaborate plot with many twists that ends up resulting in no real changes for the characters which survive. I'm sorry to give that last part away, but fans of Coen brothers movies already knew that someone would likely die and that there would be no progress or grand lesson learned.

Overall, the movie does a good job of poking fun at its characters, its plot, its writers/directors, and even its audience without failing to entertain. It presented a thoroughly entertaining storyline and a wide variety of characters, all of which remained eminently recognizable. I see this as a return to form for the Coen brothers that will likely draw more critical acclaim than their films from earlier this decade--after O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) the Coens failed to wow critics with either Intolerable Cruelty (2003) or The Ladykillers (2004).

I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys black comedies, and particularly those with a lot going on at once. If you love the Coens' previous work, you'll love this one.

Johnny Dangerously (1984)

This send-up of the gangster genre stars Michael Keaton as Johnny Dangerously, a New York crime boss. Growing up in the Great Depression, a young Johnny takes up a life of crime to finance his mother's medical bills and to put his little brother through law school. Upon graduation from law school, however, Johnny's brother joins the office of the District Attorney, vowing to stamp out organized crime in New York for good.

Filled with comedy ranging from slapstick to satire, Johnny Dangerously is a great light-hearted movie to relax with. The awkward English of Roman Moronie (Richard Dimitri), demented scheming of Danny Vermin (Joe Piscopo), and the always entertaining antics of Jocko Dundee (Peter Boyle) provide endless laughs. This is an easy comedy to get into and engaging throughout.

This is one of my favorite comedies, and I strongly recommend it. A classic comedy with great timing, this film makes you laugh out loud.

After Life

When you die you exist eternally in one memory. First, however, you have to choose that memory. This is the premise of After Life, a recent Japanese film that received positive reviews from many of the nation’s top critics. Set in a halfway station between heaven and earth, the characters (recently deceased) are coached by a few chosen people to wade through the moments of their lives to seek out their happiest memory. For some, the task is rather easy. For others, it is downright impossible. The movie tracks the travails of a few characters as they ransack their memories for something they are willing to relive for eternity. This premise is interesting and philosophical—a good movie could be made from this story line. Yet After life is not a good movie. It fails to produce any engaging characters to root for and leaves you overwhelmingly bored, dragging you on to the end if only for a few intermittent moments of intrigue. For all its artistic hoopla and rave reviews, After Life is not a movie I recommend for people to spend time watching.
Eiji Iki