Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Grumpy Old Fargo Territory Minus Bloody Snow

It started out simply. A suggestion was made. An agreement was reached. Four former college-mates would each view and initiate discussion on last year's well-endowed, well-received, highly lauded film, No Country for Old Men.


A DVD was rented. A plane flew overhead. Another terrorist plot was foiled. Popcorn was popped, refreshing beverages were poured. Lights dimmed. Actually, there was no popcorn. Perhaps, this was where everything went wrong.


Trailers such as one for National Treasure 2 seemed eerily anachronistic proceeding such a film as soon would air. We were taken from black like curtains drawn to a dusty desert landscape. Sunlight cracked through, just a soft shy hint would do. The first voice, nearly the first sound, was that of Tommy Lee Jones. All in attendance were calmed.


We were comforted because Tommy had never led us astray(with the forgivable exception of Man of the House). His voice uttered from those expanding sunlight craters like the very voice of God speaking from burning bush. We were intrigued to hear the story of his father and possibly his father before him, all having served nobly as agents of wrath, Texas' law men.


But nearly as soon as this lullaby hung lushly, there was another voice. This voice was not that voice. This one did not console us, it would render us helpless. It beckoned us to fear. We found this irresistible, this desire to learn what would happen to us. We had to look and as we looked things only became uglier and more wretched.


We hid and watched in secret like some kind of BTK-voyeurs. One man looked on just as we did, but his curiosity swallowed his survival instinct. As he interacted out-of-sight with this flesh-covered monster, an unsavory deal was brokered. The man would give his life for the flash-pan delusion of power and the vulgar intoxication of adventure.

Many others would fall prey, perhaps some were wholly victim, many others, ourselves included, had invited the terror by stalking the evil perversely. Then we awake from what we hope had only been a dream. I fear it was not.

Seriously, I enjoyed this though admittedly I got a little drowsy while watching it. I disagree with the academy on this one having seen most of the best picture nominees. I stand by my previous statement that Atonement was more deserving of the little golden man/fallic symbol.

I did appreciate seeing a new Coen brothers movie in the same ballpark as Fargo. I miss the bloody snow, all the "yah's" and head-nodding and William H. Macy in his underpants and chowtime with the knocked-up,on-duty,crime-solving Frances McDormand but most-of-all I miss the wood chipper.

Sighing...

4 comments:

Justin said...

Good write up Chase. I must disagree with you on "Atonement" though. I felt like it was a little overrated, and by the time I got around to seeing it, I was kinda underwhelmed. The best part of the movie was the beautiful long shot on the beach. It was right up there with some of the shots on "Children of Men".

I also thought the ending was pretty weak, even though the twist was very interesting.

Jared said...

So yeah, I definitely saw this movie and in my opinion, it's not even worth making a post about. I can't believe all the other movies nominated sucked that bad.

Justin said...

Jed, you sure you saw the same movie I did? Then again, alot of people disliked it. I just tend to disagree with their reasoning (hating the ending, slow pacing, etc).

I am actually really surprised you didn't like it. But to each their own.

Jared said...

I don't think the ending in itself was so bad, there were just a few parts missing in the middle that made the ending come a little too soon if that makes any sense.

I don't think they fleshed out the idea of the movie enough. I'm a fan of people thinking for themselves and all, and I'm quite capable of interpreting art, but I got the feeling they didn't even know what they were trying to say in this movie.

You know it's funny, on the back of the box for the movie it describes the ending as being heart stopping or something like that. That's pretty funny.