The Sunset Limited (2011)

3/5

Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited, as adapted by Tommy Lee Jones, is an interesting story. White (Jones) is a retired professor who attempts suicide by jumping in front of the titular train. Black (Jackson) is an ex-convict who rescues White from death and brings him back to his apartment. And that's where the movie begins, as they start to talk. It retells the age-old battle between cynicism and hope, atheism and religion. Everything up until the ending seems tried and true, an ancient cliché, but it brings it to a close in a way that seems novel and intriguing.

The cinematography is surprisingly inventive and entertaining, despite taking place in a single room in real time. The editing keeps the pacing tight and, as far as directing goes, Jones does an expert job. But the problem with the movie is that it's overly-talky. I wouldn't expect anything less from Cormac McCarthy, but it's a little excessive in a film. What reads well doesn't always screen well. That is really the problem with The Sunset Limited. Although his technical feats are much appreciated, I would have hoped Jones could have adapted it a little bit better.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510938/

The Road (2009)

2/5

The Road is a poorly-made adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. It follows a man (Mortensen) and his son (Smit-McPhee) fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world terrorized by nomadic groups of rapists and cannibals. The book is extraordinary, even though its message can be somewhat difficult to decipher. The movie, despite some arresting images, is unimpressive in almost every way and contains some very odd decisions by director John Hillcoat. He uses music in an attempt to bring emotion to a stoic piece, but instead just adds melodrama. He films a birth scene with as much uncomfortable awkwardness as the sex scene in Munich. He uses inane and unnecessary voice-over narration to reiterate what we are already watching on screen. The editing is jarring and stilted. The acting is either overwrought overacting or amateur hour. I'm not saying this is a bad movie, I just see no reason to waste your time watching it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/

No Country for Old Men (2007)

5/5

Watching this movie again, after contemplating it for half a year, I am struck by how much I remember. How every single scene in my memory matches perfectly what I was watching on screen today. Every frame is burned in my brain. The story allegedly focuses on a cowboy who, upon finding a stash of heroin and two million dollars in cash, is chased by a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to retrieve the money. But to say that is what the movie is about is to deny it depth. It is not about a specific story set in a specific place and time, but about the darkness in man, the descent of society, and how we are helpless to prevent our own downfall. Aside from the pure thrill rush of seeing such a flawlessly-crafted movie, its insight into humanity will ensure its place in the annals of film history.

No Country for Old Men is the latest by the Coen brothers, who are known for their ability to remold every genre and inject humor into even the darkest of situations. The first time I saw this movie, I don't think I ever laughed. Or smiled. I was too scared to. In terms of suspense, this movie outshines even The Silence of the Lambs. But there are so many humorous moments to even out the bleak, soulless remainder of the movie. What the Coens have achieved is an atmosphere that is completely unique; they have put us in a world that is completely their own. We have no way of predicting what will happen next or how the movie will end because we have never set foot in a world quite like this one.

Technically, there is not a single misstep or error. Every composition and camera movement is accomplished with such purpose and precision. There is something tranquil and calming about the way they shoot the barren landscapes, terrifying and tense about the dark hotels and pooling blood. The editing is pristine, and its role extends past mere function into thematics. In the Coens' refusal to show certain events we consider essential, we realize the true essence of the movie. The acting by Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem is spot-on, but Tommy Lee Jones's portrayal of Ed Tom Bell is absolutely spellbinding. He quite literally becomes his character, emanating his very being without needing to speak a single line. A shift in his weight or a sluggish turn and we know more about him than any words could tell. That is not to say the dialogue is unnecessary--it is brilliant and profound, unnerving and unforgettable. At the end of this movie, you will sit there stunned. And you will remember it for a long time to come.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0477348/