Smile.

[thehefner]

An aintitcool.com reviewer EXACTLY sums up my grievances with NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, even though he's talking about the upcoming universally-hailed Coen Brothers' film adaptation, and I've just read the novel by Cormac McCarthy.

I've read tons of reviews from people explaining the ending, how it's not about a confrontation but rather inevitability, but I don't see it just yet. I'm hoping the film will make the ending "work" for me. I'm no Hollywood plebian who needs a happy ending for everything or some such bullshit... but damn it, I want an ending period! The book felt like it just stopped arbitrarily. I hope the movie will finally make me go "Ohhhh, I get it, I see why it absolutely had to end that way." But so far, I just don't. Not in a way that feels satisfactory from a storytelling standpoint.

As such, I sympathize with Massawyrm, even though I sincerely hope to disagree with him. Clearly, most of the talkbackers do (including Harry Knowles, who simply calls him "retarded"), but the asshattish venom they're spewing--no matter how right they probably are--is already seriously turning me off. I almost want to hate the film, just so I wouldn't have to be on their side!

But make no mistake: I want to love NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Hopefully, the film will work for me.



I was reminded of NCFOM when, yesterday, I'd just finished James Ellroy's AMERICAN TABLOID. I'm now reading an old Ellroy interview that really helps put things in perspective. Ellroy's a brilliant writer, but Jesus, I don't think I'd ever want to live in that man's head. His world is compelling, but cynical in a way Warren Ellis only pretends to be; sort of a bizarro Crushed Idealist mindset that's ugly, cruel, selfish, and deeply nihilistic, even if Ellroy himself isn't entirely that way.

I find it fascinating, for example, that Ellroy--in that interview--says he considers Robert Kennedy a great man, a pillar of moral rectitude. This is fascinating because, as the interviewer later points out, the RFK of AMERICAN TABLOID is viewed as a backstabbing bastard villain by the characters in the book. More and more, I'm becoming deeply interested in RFK, and am about to crack open a biography of the man that supposedly does great justice to this complex man. If nothing else, I figure I can get some real insight into Harvey Dent by studying RFK.



Finally, in news that made me shout out: "HELL YES!!!"

O LUCKY MAN! is finally finally *finally* out on DVD.

The "sequel" to IF...., and one of Malcolm McDowell's greatest films. Never heard of it? I don't blame you. Oh my God, yay yay yay yay. And just in time for the super fucking sweet STANLEY KUBRICK REMASTERED SUPER SPECIAL EDITION BOX SET COLLECTION, including a new version of CLOCKWORK ORANGE with McDowell commentary! Eeee!

Who wants a Mick Travis movie night?! IF.... and O LUCKY MAN, back to back!

Comments

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

Ellroy's a brilliant writer, but Jesus, I don't think I'd ever want to live in that man's head. His world is compelling, but cynical in a way Warren Ellis only pretends to be; sort of a bizarro Crushed Idealist mindset that's ugly, cruel, selfish, and deeply nihilistic, even if Ellroy himself isn't entirely that way.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

He also makes you care about unlikable, unsympathetic characters. That's a bloody achievement right there, that is.

Y'know, if I ever were to do my GANGS OF NEW YORK remake story, I'd want to read a lot of Ellroy beforehand. He really does capture the humanity in a word of everyday cruelty and bigotry. I can see why people accuse him of being fascist, racist, anti-semitic, and/or homophobic, just because all of his characters are like that, but that's just the time period and the world they live in.

Really, the only "hero" of AMERICAN TABLOID is Bobby Kennedy, and even he gets dicked over.

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

NCFOM looks so good, but I don't know if I'd like the book. Tell me it's not one of those "realistic" true crime-ish, type deals, please? I kind of hate those with a passion.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It's super-realistic, in that laconic down-to-earth Texas kind of way. BUT! It's also anti-"conventional" storytelling, which is what pissed me off initially. The book and trailer lead you to believe this is going to lead up to be a big fucking showdown. But that's not what it's about. It's not about a showdown. It's about inevitability. It's about unstoppable evil in a world that's going to hell.

I hated the last third of the book because--and I hate how this makes me feel like I'm a plebeian--I wanted the more "conventional" confrontation of some sort! But the book isn't about an ending. It doesn't even have a climax! That's the thing. It doesn't have a climax, not in any average sort. It's a climax of the story's metaphor and symbolism, which I disliked in the book because it felt to me to be pretentious, especially when it's spelled out for you by the evil fucking villain.

NCFOM is the ultimate "it's the journey, not the destination" story. But I'm hard-wired in my desires to want to be going SOMEwhere eventually. And everything I've seen leads me to believe the movie is word-for-word faithful to the book.

But what are examples of "realistic" true crime type deals that you hate? I love a good crime movie, so I'm kinda afraid of what you might say!

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

That acutally sounds appealing, but then I'm still slightly hesitant. Maybe if it's not horribly long?


Anything by John Grisham, James Patterson, etc. They're just kind of bland and unappealing. I do like old school detective novels, though. They're full of intruge and twists, and all sorts of other shiny things.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh no, no, those are potboilers, with standard plots. This is anti-plot. Huge built-up events happen off-screen, for example. It'll be infuriating to your average dumb Joe Audience, but it also pissed me off too. I feel like an idiot for thinking so, especially as all those talkbackers on aintitcool would call me so, but there you go. I want to be won over.

If nothing else, I promise you, Javier Bardem's performance as Anton Chigurh (pronounced "sugar") is gonna be like Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. Something like we'd never seen before, a new, compelling, and terrifying yet charismatic vision of unstoppable evil.

Although I still prefer Bryan Cox's more subtle, disturbingly mundane version of Hannibal...

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

Something like we'd never seen before, a new, compelling, and terrifying yet charismatic vision of unstoppable evil.

Sexy...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Did I mention his only weapon is a cattle air gun?

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

No, you didn't, but I gathered as much from the previews. He's like, epically badass. Brains splattered everywhere!

[lonebear.livejournal.com]

Show up next tuesday and i'll loan you Harry's book about AICN.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I'll see if I can make it, as I don't know how much longer my brother's in town, and we have things yet to do. What's the book about? I appreciate the offer, but I fear I have way too many things on my reading plate as it is. I take about a month reading a book, and my pile is already oversized.