Fall Arts Preview

Here comes fall, earnest and urgent, whispering of Important Books and Movies in Oscar Contention and Controversial Art Exhibitions. TIME'S editors and critics have put together two lists of fall arrivals: the releases that seem to be attracting the biggest amount of attention (and we freely admit that this is not a scientifically measurable criterion) and the releases that our critics are most eagerly anticipating

No Country for Old Men

Richard Foreman / Miramax
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An ordinary guy named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) lucks into $2 million in cash and, what the hell, makes off with it. Turns out his luck is bad, since someone else, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), wants the money back. And Chigurh, a deadpan psycho whose weapon of choice is a cattle stun gun, is one tough sickie.

No Country for Old Men, out Nov. 9, is Joel and Ethan Coen's adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel and, says Joel, "about as close as we'll ever get to an action movie." Close, and thrilling, enough. The 2-hr. chase is twisty, the movie's tone as dry and remorseless as the West Texas landscapes crisscrossed by the two main characters: a kind of hero on the run and an indelible villain to give you the nightmare creeps.

— RICHARD CORLISS

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