No Country For Old Men: Blood, guts, and a touch of dissatisfaction.

Hmmmm …

Can I make a confession, here … ?

I’ve just seen a Coen Brothers movie.

The first one I’d seen.

And — cinematic geniuses though they may be — I’m not too sure that I can say I’m entirely happy about it …

Seriously …

Now, as you’ve probably worked out that — as it’s Tuesday — tonight was Movie Night: and us regulars — myself, Movie Night Adrian and Kevin D — were joined by both my niece, Squeaky, and Kevin’s wife Sarah.

And the Coen Brother’s film in question … ?

Was the 2007 No Country For Old Men, based on the 2005 Cormac McCarthy book of the same name.

~≈®≈~

Set in 1980, it sees Sheriff Ed Bell — Tommy Lee Jones — lamenting the increasing amounts of violence on his patch: a large stretch of rural Texas, right on the border with Mexico, just when cross-border smuggling is starting to take off.

It also sees Llewelyn Moss — Josh Brolin — being pursued by Anton Chiguh — Javier Bardem — after finding quite a substantial amount of hard cash.

Cash Moss has found, near enough in the middle of a pile of dead Mexican drug dealers.

You can tell it’s going to get frantic, can’t you … ?

Or, in anyone else’s hands, it would …

Possibly …

Hmmm …

I’m starting to run out of dots, aren’t I … ?

~≈®≈~

Hmmm …

Now’s here’s where I’m going to have to do a touch of explaining, aren’t I … ?

With only a shred of how to go about it …

Now, don’t do getting me wrong, at this stage. No Country for Old Men is a visually impressive film, with well characterised — and quirky — parts to keep both cast, crew, directors, writers, audience and David Lynch, even, very happy.

I can’t fault it on that grounds.

Nor on either the writing or generally slow, but well maintained pace, that certainly kept my interest.

There’s also enough realistic blood, guts, gore and ketchup to keep half a dozen splatter-punk fans wincing for weeks.

Oh, and faultless dialogue coaching, as well: it wasn’t until we briefly watched one of the extras that I realised that Kelly MacDonald, who plays Josh Brolin’s young wife, has — in real life — an accent that makes Karen Gillan sound like she’s from Hackney.

My problem … ?

Was the rather abrupt ending.

Imagine you and a friend are walking down a street.

And — for whatever reason — your friend suddenly stops, without you realising.

You’d probably feel much as I did, watching the end of No Country For Old Men.

Mildly annoyed that you hadn’t noticed, and wanting to know what happened …

~≈®≈~

Now, granted I took Adrian, Kevin and Squeaky’s point, that real life — indeed, individual careers — doesn’t necessarily end with everything being nicely tied off: that the film focuses primarily on the Tommy Lee Jones character, and his retiring from of a job he loves, but no longer feels he understands.

But personally … ?

I can’t help but feel that No Country For Old Men left me — to paraphrase John Lydon — feeling like I’d been terribly HAD.