What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?

No Country for Old Men

The Coen Brothers are some of America's/cinema in generals best directors. They are true auteurs. They have created some amazing pieces of film and No Country for Old Men is my favorite. The gritty cat and mouse story of a smart Texas hunter trying to outrun a psychopath over stolen money blew my mind.

It's almost pointless to write about how amazing Javier Bardem was, as it might as well be a fact written in a film history book. There really is no room for discussion. As the air-gun toting, coin flipping psychopath Anton Chigur, Bardem gives the performance of his life. This character is almost not even human, but an unstoppable force. He literally lets nothing get in his way, not a bullet to the leg or a car crash. Bardem looked the part of a stable psychopath; he had this calming, yet slightly unsettling page-boy haircut and this completely stoic face and monotone voice. It really helps that sans page-boy haircut, Bardem looks like a sexy caveman.

The Coen Brothers don't want you to be guessing how crazy Chigur is. They brilliantly establish it within the first couple minutes, when he strangles a police officer with his own handcuffs. As both he and the officer struggle on the ground, Bardem's face explodes with rage and intensity. He bares his teeth like he's a hungry animal. Immediately we have seen what goes on in Chigur's brain: a lust for blood and an unstoppable work ethic.

Like in most Coen Brothers films, the location becomes a central character to the story. The brothers utilize the Texas landscape brilliantly. The film is beautifully photographed. The shots of dessert and sweeping countrysides establish a tone of lack of escape. There is no where our protagonist can hide. He could be safe behind a tree (perhaps an image representing a hotel) but he won't be for long. Chigur will find him. In addition, the Coen Brothers made the distinct choice to not create a musical soundtrack. While this is not an unheard of technique, it was definitely the right choice. Texas is the soundtrack. Wind picking up sand, cowboy boots running on asphalt, guns, that's the music of Texas. It gives the film a more realistic feel, because though we wish there were a soundtrack to our lives, there isn't. Music can sometimes soothe an event in a movie, sometimes calm an audience down. The Coen Brothers do not want us calm. They want us clutching our seats with white knuckles.

One thing that always struck me about the film was it's use of women. There are only four female characters and two of them encounter Chigur, and they do not let him walk all over them. They stand up for themselves and put him in his place. While this doesn't end so well for one of the women, they don't sit by idly and let Chigur take what he wants. They question him and scold him and he is completely taken aback. He's so used to people being afraid of him and giving in without hesitation, he briefly gets the wind knocked out of him. With more development, one could even write an essay about how this film could be interpreted as feminist.

I feel like this review doesn't give the movie justice. It has so many layers and brilliant elements that I could write for hours about it. It's truly an American masterpiece.

Amy Adams in Enchanted

I am a big Amy Adams fan and I think she is brilliant in everything she does. And one of my favorites is Enchanted. While the film is overall pretty good, it's Adams who truly gives it life. She believes, to her core, in magic and the power of love. When she hears about this strange concept known as divorce, in the placement of her mouth and the widening of her eyes, we see that something inside of her has died. If Renee Zellwegger could get nominated for an Oscar for Bridget Jones' Diary, then Adams should have received one for this. This is one of the most committed and fully realized female roles I've seen.

Netflix

Amadeus-I haven't seen this movie in years but I remember loving it. I need to get reacquainted.
Bad Education-I really like Almodovar, and I'm curious to see how well he works with men, because we know how great he is with women.
Breathless-In Netflix Instant. This film is an important French New Wave film, and something I should really see as a film student.