'No Country' on DVD lets you savor the sights

Joel and Ethan Coen have been the first to admit that "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax, 2007, R), their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's thriller, remains faithful to the text, right down to enlisting much of McCarthy's original dialogue.

But one of the things that makes the movie a masterpiece -- and certainly helped it snag a boatload of Oscars, including Best Picture -- is that the pairing of this author with these filmmakers finally provided the immensely talented but deeply cynical purveyors of stylized misanthropy and cynicism with material possessed of actual moral weight. Yeah, the Coens came close with "Fargo," but with "No Country For Old Men" the bloodletting and nihilism is dished out in service of something deeper and more meaningful.

While the ending of "No Country" -- like that of "There Will Be Blood" -- proved a disorienting head-scratcher for some, on DVD one can better pay attention to Tommy Lee Jones' concluding monologue and its place. And even if the movie remains perplexing, there's always Roger Deakins' astounding cinematography to relish. Thank goodness, too, since the paltry supplements are more spare than the Coen Brothers' acceptance speeches.

aLso new this week

"12 Angry Men" (MGM, 1957, Not Rated): If last year's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" marked a comeback for director Sidney Lumet, 1957's "12 Angry Men" was really the film that started it all. Sharp-eyed readers may notice that the courtroom (or, more specifically, deliberation room) drama celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Why this 50th anniversary edition of the film is arriving in 2008 is anyone's guess -- maybe they were hoping the ever-busy Lumet would sit down for a commentary, rather than critic/historian Drew Casper? -- but any excuse to revisit this taut classic is a good one.

"101 Dalmatians" (Disney, 1961, G): The highest-grossing American film of 1961, "101 Dalmatians" was also among the last of Disney's animated classics overseen by Walt Disney himself. Indeed, the studio's output would quickly decline as the decade gave way to the '70s, really failing to perk it up until "The Little Mermaid" in 1989, but the fact that "Dalmatians" has weathered the years so well earns it its iconic status in the animated canon (even if it's a bit of a drag compared to Disney's best). Like a lot of Disney classics released from the vaults, "Dalmatians" doesn't pack enough supplement punch to warrant the double-disc treatment, but the documentaries and archive material on the second disc make for a good chaser after the kids have watched the film101 times.

"Dan in Real Life" (Touchstone, 2007, PG-13): A hangdog widowed advice columnist (Steve Carell) whose own life -- dysfunctional family and all -- is in disarray? Falling in love with the unattainable Juliette Binoche? Co-starring Dane Cook? Please. But "Dan in Real Life" isn't as bad as it sounds. However, like writer/director Peter Hedges' previous film "Pieces of April," it's still far too obvious to succeed as anything other than a pleasant distraction. Maybe enlist it to clear your mind of "No Country for Old Men?"