Spring Break
Winter films satisfy, on the whole
The winter season had its masterpieces and mishaps with an equal mix of poignancy and poor taste.
by Jordan Holtzman-Conston
Movies | 1/22/08
Posted online at 11:33 PM EST on 1/21/08
/ Last updated at 1:34 AM EST on 1/21/08
There Will Be Blood
There was in fact blood. Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the critically acclaimed, glamorized indie-art film about the turn-of-the-century oil wars in California. Paul Thomas Anderson directed this classically American film, which follows the life of Daniel Plainview from rags to riches. The film, based on Upton Sinclair's 1929 novel Oil, is an in-depth character study of Plainview, a self-proclaimed oil man and the most captivatingly evil character to hit Hollywood screens in some time. In the wake of Frank Lucas, (Denzel Washington in American Gangster) and Anton Chigurh, (Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men) Day-Lewis' Plainview equals, if not surpasses, the ruthless soullessness that is the current trend on screen. Despite a lengthy two-and-a-half hour runtime, Blood is never boring. Day-Lewis is brilliant, and even upon conclusion his character is not completely understood. Blood leaves a bitterly bleak aftertaste, but should go down in history as a confusing American classic. Overall score: 8/10
No Country For Old Men
The Coen brothers, writers and directors Ethan and Joel, have made another masterpiece. The film captivates from start to finish--there is not a moment for the audience to catch its breath until the unresolved end. Tommy Lee Jones is credited with the lead role, but Javier Bardem makes the movie what it is: a psychologically scary tale of a serial killer who kills for money, for spite or for a coin flip. With an air gun in one hand and a silenced shotgun in the other, Bardem, as Anton Chigurh, shows no fear, remorse or regret for his murders of the guilty as well as the innocent. The majority of the film follows Chigurh as he chases Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, who stumbles upon a slew of dead drug runners and $2 million dollars in cash in the beginning of the movie. While Tommy Lee Jones, as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, receives his share of screen time, he never shares it with Bardem after the first scene. As Bell chases Chigurh, who's chasing Moss, he keeps enough of a distance to stay alive, but has no real impact on the movie's plotline. No Country for Old Men is the best film of the year and a must-see for true film fanatics everywhere. Overall score: 10/10
There was in fact blood. Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the critically acclaimed, glamorized indie-art film about the turn-of-the-century oil wars in California. Paul Thomas Anderson directed this classically American film, which follows the life of Daniel Plainview from rags to riches. The film, based on Upton Sinclair's 1929 novel Oil, is an in-depth character study of Plainview, a self-proclaimed oil man and the most captivatingly evil character to hit Hollywood screens in some time. In the wake of Frank Lucas, (Denzel Washington in American Gangster) and Anton Chigurh, (Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men) Day-Lewis' Plainview equals, if not surpasses, the ruthless soullessness that is the current trend on screen. Despite a lengthy two-and-a-half hour runtime, Blood is never boring. Day-Lewis is brilliant, and even upon conclusion his character is not completely understood. Blood leaves a bitterly bleak aftertaste, but should go down in history as a confusing American classic. Overall score: 8/10
No Country For Old Men
The Coen brothers, writers and directors Ethan and Joel, have made another masterpiece. The film captivates from start to finish--there is not a moment for the audience to catch its breath until the unresolved end. Tommy Lee Jones is credited with the lead role, but Javier Bardem makes the movie what it is: a psychologically scary tale of a serial killer who kills for money, for spite or for a coin flip. With an air gun in one hand and a silenced shotgun in the other, Bardem, as Anton Chigurh, shows no fear, remorse or regret for his murders of the guilty as well as the innocent. The majority of the film follows Chigurh as he chases Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, who stumbles upon a slew of dead drug runners and $2 million dollars in cash in the beginning of the movie. While Tommy Lee Jones, as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, receives his share of screen time, he never shares it with Bardem after the first scene. As Bell chases Chigurh, who's chasing Moss, he keeps enough of a distance to stay alive, but has no real impact on the movie's plotline. No Country for Old Men is the best film of the year and a must-see for true film fanatics everywhere. Overall score: 10/10
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