Dan Brown: Three Cheers for the Coen Brothers

In a society racked with doubt, disappointment, and distress, thank the stars for the reliable virtuosity of the Coen Brothers. They just released No Country For Old Men, one of the finest films of the year and the favorite for the Best Picture Oscar. In the can they've got the comedy Burn After Reading , starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Then they're shooting something called A Serious Man. And then... Variety reports that the Coens will be adapting and directed Michael Chabon's 2007 novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union . Chabon's talent and imagination run amok in this alternate-history/noir-thriller novel, and very few filmmakers have the track record or the moxie of the Coens to bring it to life. This should be something special. I once saw Joel Coen give a small group of NYU film students the most unorthodox and possibly brilliant piece of moviemaking advice I've heard: (paraphrasing) "On your first project, sacrifice anything and everything to give yourself more time." Food for ... (link)