Compare and Contrast

That was one of my favourite essay topics when I was studying English Lit at Uni (thats right Bubba's one of my majors in Eng Lit). It was an invitation to focus on the likeness or not of two or more works.
You could always find common themes or polar opposite views to play with.
So it is with much pleasure that I submit my 'Compare and Contrast' review of 'The Golden Compass' and 'No Country for Old Men'.
Both are adaptations of books although Hollywood decided that 'The Northern Lights' was (justifiably) less sexy than the 'Golden Compass' (a rare use of good judgement). No Country for Old Men is set in South West Texas in 1980 and The Golden Compass is set in a weird alternate universe where Coke doesn't exist but indentured servants do (the horror!).
Okay so first impressions as a book adaptation, The Golden Compass sacrifices a lot for the sake of the big screen and concerned illiterate Christian parents in America. Boy talk about the Galileo treatment huh? Hows that for irony! No Country for Old Men is described as a fairly faithful reproduction (no comment, I'm current working my way through Prisoner of Zenda, will schedule a read in later this month).

The plots are not equally complex, one its all about revenge while the other is an involved story ultimately about free will and the nature of the soul. Both draw upon the question of god (although 'Compass' can't too heavily) and both don't provide any depth 'No Country' is deliberately ambiguous though.

So which is the better picture, for me in every category it has to be 'No Country'. I did not enjoy 'Compass' I knew the plot and winced when ever the movie strayed. Some might call it a pretty film, but as an audience we would be let down if CGI based celluloid wasn't.
I wasn't displeased with 'No Country', but I'd have to say there weren't any surprises for me. The way it finished was really good, prompting me to coin (and you heard it here first) the phrase; Texas Noir

Enjoy.

PS I'd say 'No Country' also had it over 'Compass' in one very important respect, 'Compass' had zero, nada, zip, doughnut F-100 trucks. 'No Country' had over a billion, it was the best part of the film for me.