Tom Fudge:
No Country for Old Men
This movie is written and directed by the well-known Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan , who are known for such movies as Fargo and Raising Arizona . But anyone who expects No County for Old Men to be a comedy needs to be advised that it's not. The film is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy . Set in Texas near the borderline, it's a story of a drug deal gone very bad. A local resident stumbles upon a scene of multiple murders, and he finds a suitcase full of cash, which he decides to keep.
Meanwhile, a cold-blooded killer goes in search of the money, leaving many dead bodies in his path. And a local sheriff, played by Tommy Lee Jones , launches an investigation of the crime and the missing money. One of the movie's characters calls the setting of this story a place that "puts your soul at hazard." And that's the feeling you get about all of the people who populate the bleak, empty landscape of No Country for Old Men . The movie also stars Josh Brolin as the man who finds the money and Spanish actor Javier Bardem as the killer in search of the cash.
Redacted
The movie Redacted is based on a true story that took place during the War in Iraq. In the movie, an Iraqi girl is raped and murdered by American servicemen, and her family is also killed. The movie is made by well-known film-maker Brian De Palma . The film has the look of being patched together with a combination of images from cell phones, surveillance cameras and consumer-grade camcorders. Reviewers have described this as being clearly an anti-war film. But how good is it?
That's where a lot of people seem to disagree.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
If families are looking for a movie to attend in the coming weeks, they might consider the G-rated Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium . This film stars Dustin Hoffman , who plays a 243-year-old man who has owned a magic shop for 113 years. One day he decides to turn over operation of the shop to the shop manager, played by Natalie Portman , who is far from sure that she wants to take over.
When it looks like the store may close, the toys get very upset and stage a sort of rebellion. This movie is written and directed by Zach Helm .
Margot at the Wedding
Margot at the Wedding is a movie directed and written by Noah Baumbach . It's about two sisters, one of which is planning to get married at the family's old East Coast seaside home. Her sister and the sister's son who live in Manhattan come home for the wedding. And then bad stuff starts to happen.
This is not a No Country for Old Men scenario. Nobody gets blown away in this movie. But the level of emotional abuse, personal sniping and arguing is intense. Let's just say this is one wedding you're glad you weren't invited to.
Margot at the Wedding has quite a list of stars that include Nicole Kidman , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Jack Black and John Torturro . The director, Baumbach, is the same man who wrote and directed The Squid and the Whale .
Guests
Beth Accomando , film critic for KPBS.
Scott Marks , film critic and author of the blog Emulsion Compulsion.
