No Country for Old Men

I know I know, this post is both a day late (movies are scheduled for Friday) and several months late (the movie is already available for rental); but here it is nonetheless. Jenna and I have only seen two movies in the theater since we've lived in Pennsylvania--one great (Le Scaphandre et le papillon), one awful (The Other Boleyn Girl)--so we didn't see No Country for Old Men in the theater. I really had intended to read the novel before seeing the movie; but academic reading overwhelmed me even before I could finish Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. No Country, along with The Border Trilogy are on my summer/free time reading list. Anyway, on the film.

I approached the film very much wanting to enjoy it, and I was not disappointed. I would expect to be impressed with the combination of McCarthy and the Coen brothers and they certainly didn't let me down. Javier Bardem (who looks ridiculously like Jeffrey Dean Morgan aka Denny Duquette) certainly deserved his award for Best Supporting Actor, Tommy Lee Jones was better than I ever expected him to be, and the actors, all together, were excellent.

The cinematography and directing (as expected) were excellent. Having not read the novel, I cannot attest to the validity of the adaptation award, but the flow of the plot-line ran very well and seems in line with the style that McCarthy imposes upon his novels (in my opinion, gleaned from reading half of one novel).

Over all, I had very high expectations for the novel and I wasn't disappointed.

The Last Kiss/l'ultimo bacio

disclaimer: While I try not to spoil too much, it is difficult for me to ascertain what the essential plot elements are for others, so I may be giving them away. Also, in this discussion I am, in my mind, assuming that the primary version of the film is the American version, though it was made second as an adaptation of the Italian film.

After wanting to see it for several months, I finally was able to see "l'Ultimo Bacio" on Wednesday night. I saw the American version, "The Last Kiss" featuring Zach Braff, in theaters and have watched the DVD several times since its release. I didn't really anticipate liking the Italian original more, and I was right. I've not watched too many Italian films, save for "La Vita è bella" and a few different operas, but I was expecting this movie to be highly sexually charged. The American version was uncomfortable sexual tension at times, and with my impression of Italians as overtly sexual (they recently passed a law banning crotch grabbing in public), I expected even more tension. It's not that I was disappointed by the lack of graphic material (on the contrary, it was a pleasant surprise because it's always awkward) but I believe it lacked some of the essential elements (at least for me) that the American version so deftly added.

While not equally so, "The Last Kiss" is similar in tension to "Closer." I've never felt more awkward/amazed as I did after watching "Closer," and "The Last Kiss" maintains many of the same elements of tension, struggle, and pain. "l'Ultimo Bacio" lacks that tension, but it still tells a good story very well and the acting is good, though it's hard for me to judge non-English speaking actors because I'm just not familiar with the natural inflection.

The Italian film developed many of the side stories better, and while that provides a deeper picture of the periphery actors, I believe it takes away from the primary quintet of characters: man, woman, mom, dad, and girl. There is a significant difference in the endings and it sharply paints one of the characters in a different light. That's all I'm going to say about it, perhaps I've said too much already.

Gerund+Noun=Movie Title

Inspired by the Language Log's multi-piece article on non-constituent titles, I have recently become interested in movies whose titles are made up of a gerund and a noun (or noun phrase, whichever you prefer). I'm certainly no linguist and my knowledge and, frankly, interest in grammar is minimal, at best so this certainly isn't a legit pursuit of linguist knowledge or renown, just an observation.

So far, I've thought of:

Chasing Amy
Finding Forrester
Searching for Bobby Fischer (maybe doesn't count, but who cares?)

Chelsea's:

Waking Ned Divine
Driving Miss Daisy

And really, when I was talking about this I had many more but when it comes to writing it down, I am drawing a blank.

Anyway, if you can think of any more, just throw them my way.