Thursday, November 29, 2007

Brilliant but Disturbing

Last Sunday, while I was still back in Pittsburgh, we had the chance to see two additional movies I've been remiss in mentioning here.

The first was "No Country For Old Men," a brilliantly-conceived but disturbing offering from the Coen Brothers (creators of "Fargo").

Based on a novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, the film is about a psychopathic killer, a small town sheriff and a random man who comes across the scene of a multiple murder related to drug smuggling in a desert area near El Paso, Texas.

Javier Bardem, a superb actor who has been a favorite since "Before Night Falls," portrays the killer.

"NCFOM" has received positive reviews (even from the USCCB) but, to be honest, I don't think I would recommend it. It's violent in the extreme in its exploration of how one human being can so ruthlessly shed blood.

The other movie we caught Sunday was "Across the Universe," Julie Taymor's homage on film to the music of The Beatles.

This one I likely would recommend.

Basically a movie-length music video, "ATU" was visually-stunning if sappy and over-indulgent in places.

I liked how Taymor and team presented several of the tunes, notably "Dear Prudence."

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