Monday, December 10, 2007

Double Feature

For the first hour and a half of its running time, No Country For Old Men is both extremely stylish and nose-to-the-ground; in the last half hour, the action quickly becomes clear as mud: It’s like the Coens jumped from Blood Simple to Barton Fink, or let David Lynch direct the last half hour of the movie.

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead opens with a couple of scenes that might lead you to believe you’re in for a dirty good time, but don’t be fooled. The heist-gone-bad story defers to the family-gone-bad story, and what follows is unrelentingly grim -- a film to be admired more than enjoyed.

No comments: