Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone
Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
Originally posted by: kalster
no country for old men is WAYY overrated
Agreed... in a few years people will look back at it and wonder WTF was the Academy thinking...
Then again, Out of Africa and Chicago didn't deserve the accolade, either...
No chance. NCFOM represents some of the most talented modern filmmakers at the height of their art. Essentially every respected critic loved it, and Ebert even called it a "perfect" film. IMO it had no real competition as Best Picture this year, and thus its win was essentially inevitable. There will never be a time it isn't regarded as one of the finest films of the '00s, and indeed it could be argued that it's the best so far.
I agree that it is their best work, but I think it is far from perfect. It's definitely more mature from their earlier flights. The deadpan humor is subtle and almost non-existent, whereas previously they would lose the story in favor of irony and silliness. (I always liked that, though)
While Chigurh is a fantastic character, and will probably become one of those classic film Icons like Lecter or Norman Baites, his actual identity in the film wasn't solidified. The film suggests that he's a specter, Death incarnate. So now you have this phantom interjected amidst some very well portrayed, and shockingly blunt realism.
Llewelyn didn't deserve the ending that he was given (a very capable individual offed by some random Mexicans, off-camera?), Tommy Lee was never involved in the main action. There is a lot of philosophy about violence and human nature going on here, and each character serves their parts in representing it...but it's a bit too much of it, I think. The message is never explicit.
I think TWBB was more focused. The traditional bio-epic that Hollywood loves, mixed in with some classic American myth and history. Also one of the greatest performances by an individual in the history of the medium. That's my take, anyway. Both were great, though.
I wish The Diving Bell and the Butterfly had received more love, though. Not sure why it wasn't even nominated in the foreign language category (maybe they tried for Best Picture?). In several ways....I think it was better than No Country and TWBB.