No Country For Old Men

"Pretty good movie, though they could have cut off about a half hour or so and it would've been just as good." That's one of the comments I had for There Will Be Blood. Well, No Country For Old Men clocks in at about two hours, which works out well.

I'd heard that Javier Bardem's character was really spooky and terrifying, but I didn't find him to be that frightening. He's certainly an impressive villain, however. His face and voice reminds me of Raul Julia. His face is a little rounder and fleshier, but his voice has that same soft elegance to it.

I think the plot is pretty solid, if you ignore the missing motivation and background to the overall story. Certain things seem to be picked up in medias res. I really liked Llewelyn as a character.

How great is the Internet? It allows us to know that Llewelyn and its variations mean "oath of Belenus". Belenus is an old Celtic god associated with fire and healing.

Before seeing it I heard some people say they didn't like the ending. This would be the third movie I've seen this year that has an "ending without an ending", with Cloverfield and There Will Be Blood the others. Maybe saying they don't have an ending isn't the best way to put it. Let's just say they're abrupt, and some people find them unsatisfying.

The movie is still darn good, and I think probably deserving of Best Picture over There Will Be Blood. It's just a tighter movie, and that's something I don't see enough of.

Tightest movie I've seen: 12 Angry Men.