I .</p><p> ARTS .</p><p> STAR TRIBUNI .</p><p> SUNDAY, MAY 27,2OO7 On(I\rues Can Coens regain moio at Cannes? o FrlmmakersEthanand Joel Coen create a buzz at the festrval that's been good to them ByMICHAET cILrZ Special to thc StaTribue m the Coen brothers do it again? The TlYin Cil- ies nativcs who have tri- rmphed repeatedly at Cmnes ae oncc rgain stirring talk of behg in the hut for a maior awud today.</p><p> That talk centers on "No Coutry for Old Mer1" a hu- mor-streal(ed drma about a Buy (Josh Brolin) who stu- bles upon a pilc of cash from a drug deal gone bad md de- cides to make the play of his Iife Tomy Lee Jones is the small-tom sheriff who loows that Brolin is ia way over his head.</p><p> Neither of them couts on Brolin behg tracked dom by the relentless Anton Chigu (a scene-stealing JaYier Btrdem as a soulless killing ruchine).Ethm md Joel Coen ile debuting their latest, "No Coutry For Old Men," at the 60th Cmes flIm fesUva.l.</p><p> And the Coens don't usual- ly cout on outside materia.l.</p><p> But this movie (due out in the United States this fall, perlEps after playing the Toronto Filrn Festival) is broed on a book by trovelist Comac McCarthy, au- thor of "Al1 the Pretty Horses" md the curent apocalyptic bestseller "The Road." Usually press-shy md tac- itun, the Coem were reluc- tmt even to chdacterize what McCuthy was thjnking when they showed him the fnished movte "He sat tbrough the whole thing," said Etha, the yomg- er md slightly shorter broth- er. "He didr't leave.</p><p> He didn't throw ulthing at the screen." Joel jmped in with, "And he d.idn't hit Ethm on the way out." As they've done since break- ing out in 1984 with the shoe- string noir drma "Blood Sim- ple," the two brothers finish each other's sentences md mmage to keep a polite, low profile while promoting their quirky movies.</p><p> Aad there's no better place for them to begia that work thm at Cmes. "We've always gotten a gen- erally friendly receptioq md they've been generally good for the movies," said Joel. "It's al- so the kind of movies we make.</p><p> They may be ia one respect or mother out of the mainstreu md more difficult to Mket.</p><p> Itneeds some attention md trac- tion ftom a festival like Cmes.</p><p> In the corner we [work il], it becomes importut.'' r: : 11'r 'Ablodydusic'? The Coens' most recent efforts, "Intolerable Cruel- ty" (2OO3) md "The Ladykill- ers" (2004), both scored ir the $35 million to $40 million ruge at the U.S. box office - a decent uout for their off- beat lilrns - but left critics cold. "The Mm Who Wasn't There" (2001) wm a critical fa- vorite, but sold oDly $7 million in tickets.</p><p> Despite a bleak oudook ud dou ending, "No Country for Old Men," which also stars Woody Harelson, is so as- sued md ftmy it seems likely to gilner great reyiews md the Coens' best box ofhce in ages Viliety dubbed it "one oftheir very best" and "a bloody cl*- sic," md that praise has been echoed throughout the festi- val So the Coens bring their sta-studdcd, mbitious works to Cmes, md Ciues retwns the favor.</p><p> Ttuee of their films have won tJre festival's best-di- rector awild ("The Mm Who Wasn't The!e," I996's "Fugo" md I991's "Barton Finh" which also won the top prize, the Pa.lme d'Or) That acclaim is why their relatively low-budget moviescm attract maior stils such s George Cloouey md Brad Pitt, who have both signed on for the Coens'next proiect, "Bur A-fter Reading." "I cm't believe I'rn with the Coens," Budem said, "I was in the Toronto FiIm Festival in 2001with my fust movie [My new agentl said, 'Who would you lile to work with?' I said, 'The Coen brothers ' She said, 'WeU, that's not going to hap- pen because they make Amer- icm movies.' And now here I m with them " Chigur isn't described (be- yond his icy blue eyes) or given my background or history in the book, so the Coens felt free to hire Bildem.</p><p> They gave him a ridiculous pageboy haircut that somehow is so awkwild it makes Chigu all the morescary: A mm with such bad hair clea-ly doesn't cee what myone tbinks about hin "I went to a trailer md I weDt to the hairdresser ud they did bop, bop, bop," saidBadem "I saw these guys laug}iag their eyes off, like crying.</p><p> I said, 'What happened? Give me a mirror.' I looked at it md said, 'OK, we've got a chilacter"' Bddem's one reseFation? He doesn't like violence, md his chaacter is almost Termi- mtor-like it his rutllessness. "Let me tell you about Iavi- er Budern " said Ethm. "I don t loow what he told you It's true he was initia-lly reluctmt, but he wumed to it to m alm- ing de$ee.</p><p> He'd walk on the set md go, A-a-a-right [clap- ping hmds together with gleeJ, who do we kill today?"'Iavier Bddem stils as a rutlless killer in "No Coutry for Old Men, " which has already gmered pnise from audiences md qitics
