No Country for Coens

The famed Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, have signed on to write and direct an
adaptation of No Country for Old Men, a novel by Cormac McCarthy
(All the Pretty Horses) set to be released sometime in 2007.
The story revolves around a Vietnam veteran, who, while hunting happens upon a
drug deal gone awry along the Tex-Mex border in 1980. He makes off with a busload
of money and heroin, only to have himself subsequently hunted by an old sheriff
and a psychotic killer who takes care of his victims with a cattle gun used in
slaughterhouses. I’m guessing they want their stash back. I can feel my
testicles shrinking already. In talks to star in the film are Tommy Lee Jones
(Space Cowboys) and Javier Bardem (Collateral),
with Scott Rudin (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) attached
as producer.

We haven’t been treated to a Coen Brothers movie since the boring-as-all-hell
Ladykillers, from way back in 2004, which even Tom Hanks’
amazing performance could not salvage. I wanted to enjoy it. I really did. Really.
But c’mon, it sucked pipe. You can’t argue that. Doesn’t it
burn your biscuits when an artist you really enjoy puts out a bad product? We
all wish every album from our favorite band was a winner, but they aren’t.
And we buy them all anyways to have a complete collection, don’t we? Pathetic.
But for the Two-Headed Director to have such a string of enjoyable films followed
up by a true-to-life dud? How can you so blatantly miss the mark? I guess it is
debatable, ‘cuz I know someone who didn’t enjoy Intolerable
Cruelty, god bless his soul/I spit on his grave. I’ll admit that’s
one movie I teetered the borderline with, but Clooney’s performance alone
won me over. Let’s all cross our collective fingers.

The Coen Brothers have also signed on to write and direct two other projects,
Hail Caesar (which would conclude their idiot trilogy starring
George Clooney.. no that’s not a snarky remark) and Suburbicon.
More on those as news reports unfold.