Wild Strawberries is the third film in the
filmspotting Ingmar Bergman ("Saraband") marathon. And it's my new favorite of his films. Though the themes are sometimes heavy, an aging professor realizes that his life is empty, there is often humor and the characters are engaging. Throughout the film, the professor is haunted by troubling dreams, and these make me long for a Bergman horror movie. Though the episodes are short, they are unbelievable spooky and the cinematography gorgeous and frightening at the same time.
No Country for Old Men is a shoo-in for a Best Picture Nomination, if not the win. The story follows Josh Brolin ("American Gangster)'s Llewelyn Moss as he stumbles across and drug deal gone bad and a lot of money. He is then stalked by Javier Bardem ("Love in the Time of Cholera")'s Anton Chigurh, a hitman determined to recover the money. And that's just the barest of outlines. The acting in this is amazing, especially Bardem who is very disturbing every time he comes on screen. The story keeps you thinking long after the film has ended. The cinematography is great. The use of silence instead of music is tense and suits the film well. My only complaint is that, towards the end, the film seemed to drag. I really want to rewatch this to determine if it would bother me the second time round. But, all in all, this is the best movie I've seen this year. The Coen Brothers ("The Ladykillers") have finally brought their A-game back to Hollywood.