Tuesday, October 6, 2009

the Directors: the Coen Brothers

Who can switch gears better than the Coen brothers? They are seamless at jumping from dead serious crime drama to slapstick comedy. (Many will argue that their ability to fuse those two genres together produces their best work.)

Their films aren’t always great (or even that good) but you have to give them credit for experimenting with each passing picture. (I mean, can you believe the same guys that created The Dude also brought Anton Chirgurh (Jarvier Bardem in No Country for Old Men) to life?

Often dubbed “The Two-Headed Director” the Coens never fail to intrigue, and with their new film, A Serious Man out this month, it seems like an appropriate time to examine their work.

Blood Simple (1984)
A simply stunning film debut. Everytime I watch it, I’m somehow tricked by the exquisitely manipulated details. The Coen’s didn’t make another film like this until No Country for Old Men, and damn if they didn’t completely nail the noir tone from the get-go. Never seen it? No matter what kind of movies you like, you will surely enjoy this. A+


Interesting Fact:
Often voted as one of the best directional debuts in film history. Also, Joel met his future wife, Frances McDormand while making this film.

Raising Arizona (1987)
The Coen’s give us the first does of their zany, original humor. Usually these loopy comedies are a hit or miss, and I must admit, Raising Arizona has never done it for me. I think the comedy is forced and half-assed. But, there are several people that would disagree. You be the judge. B-

Interesting Fact:
The only main character to not cry in the film is the baby, Nathan Jr.
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
A fantastic gangster film. The dialogue pops just as well as the Tommy guns. Another Coen gem that you can watch over and over without ever being bored. I’m hard-pressed to think of a better ‘20s-era gangster flick. A+

Interesting Fact:
This is one of the few movies that the Coens didn’t edit themselves (along with Raising Arizona and The Hudsucker Proxy.) The brothers usual edit under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes.
Barton Fink (1991)
For this odd outing, the brothers experiment in blending their unique humor with startling suspense, to great results. John Turturro gives a tour de force performance. It’s not for everyone (ie, as the film gets longer, the scenes get weirder), but I’m a big fan. It’s one of their more little-seen films, but if you’re a Coen buff, it’s a must. A-

Interesting Fact:
The brothers wrote this movie in three weeks while suffering an extreme case of writer’s block while penning Miller’s Crossing.
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Again, the Coen’s miss with their comedy. Some of this is funny, I suppose. The running gags, the over-the-top-ness of it all. But it doesn’t sit well with me, not compared to their other work. C+

Interesting Fact:
The death of Waring Hudsucker was inspired by a real-life incident. In 1975, Eli Black, the CEO of the United Fruit Company, smashed an office window with his briefcase and jumped to his death from the 44th floor of the Pan Am Building in New York City.
Fargo (1996)
What’s to say? A modern film masterpiece. Everything is flawless: the perfectly timed acting, the steely score, the icy cinematography, the geographically-specific dialogue, it’s all utter perfection. I want to highlight one particular aspect of the film that is often overlooked. Pay attention to the editing of the picture (by the Coens, naturally). The assembly of scenes is almost the best part of the movie. We don’t even meet our heroine Marge (Frances McDormand) until 40 minutes into the 98 minute film. Certain scenes seem unnecessary, which, if you’re not bored, is called character development. What’s better than two thugs banging a few hookers then cutting immediately to the four of them watching The Tonight Show? Not to be missed. A+


Interesting Fact:
The beginning of this film comes with a disclaimer saying that it is based on a true story. It isn’t. In keeping with their odd demeanor, the Coens created the “Based on a True Story” bit as a marketing ploy.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
A cult masterwork that lives up to its reputation. This is a strange movie-watching experience as each viewing actually gets better than the previous one. So if you’re off-put by the unusual humor (“Take it easy man! There’s a beverage here!”) don’t fret, just watch it again. Easily the Coen’s most successful comedy. A


Interesting Fact:
The only direction Jeff Bridges wanted before each of his scenes was to know if The Dude had “burned one down.”
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Another successful comic venture. It even holds up well as a folksy musical. Who woulda thunk that George Clooney would be a perfect fit for a zany Coen Brothers picture? Immensely enjoyable. A-

Interesting Fact:
This was the Coens first film not made from an original screenplay. They adapted the movie from Homer’s "The Odyssey".
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
I love that this film is rated R solely due to a 30 second scene of violence; the Coens never let anyone sway their vision, ratings be damned. This black and white, old school noir really hits its mark, with an impeccable Billy Bob Thornton in the lead. Although the highlight has got to be Tony Shalhoub as the fast-talking lawyer. A great, patient delight. A


Interesting Fact:
The movie was actually filmed in color, then printed in black and white via special processing.
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
I’m up in the air about this one. It has its moments, but like most other Coen comedies, it falters badly as well. Some subplots are downright unnecessary. The question is, does the good stuff outweigh the bad? Sadly, I think not. C+

Interesting Fact:
I honestly can’t think of anything remotely interesting.
The Ladykillers (2004)
Another tough one to pin down. Tom Hanks is good, sure. But sometimes it feels like the Coens… just try a little too hard. It is entertaining, but it certainly drags on. J.K. Simmons is most definitely the highlight. C+

Interesting Fact:
This is the first Coen Brothers film where Joel Coen and Ethan Coen are both given directing and producing credits. They have shared these duties on all of their films, but Joel has always been listed as the director, and Ethan as producer.
Paris, je t’aime (2006)
Well, their six-minute short certainly isn’t the best of the bunch (that would be Alexander Payne’s closing segment), but it is amusing, and clearly marked with the Coen’s comedic stamp. Steve Buscemi is great in a wordless role. Pretty entertaining on its own. B+


Interesting Fact:
Each of the filmmakers had two weeks to write, shoot, edit and deliver their film to the producers of the movie.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Right up there with the Coen’s best. The brothers justly won Best Picture and Director Oscars for their tense, deadly serious work. It takes real balls to completely throw out your style and invent something totally different. The performances are tightly wound and flawless (Woody Harrleson can act? Hmm). A lot of people bitch about the ending, not me. I think it suits the tone of the film perfectly (if you take the title quite literally, it may make more sense to you). One of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptations I’ve ever seen. No wonder Cormac McCarthy was pleased. A+


Interesting Fact:
The Coens refused to give Josh Brolin an audition for the movie, so he asked director Robert Rodriguez to help him shoot an audition tape while Brolin was filming Planet Terror. With Quentin Tarantino directing, Rodriguez shot the tape with a $950,000 digital camera. Brolin sent it to the Coen's, their only remark: "Who did the lighting?"
Burn After Reading (2008)
Again, when I first saw it, I was indifferent toward it. During the second viewing, I completely ruined the movie for my girlfriend (her first viewing), as I laughed hysterically every second Brad Pitt was on screen. I’ll swear by this, but Pitt is much better here than in Benjamin Button (which he received an Oscar nomination for the same year). B+

Interesting Fact:
Looks like Georgetown, right? In fact, the film was mostly shot in and around New York City.
A Serious Man (2009)
Watching poor Larry, a regular man with serious problems, try and deal with one shit storm after the other is pure bliss. Definitely not for everyone, (but no Coen brother’s film is)? I can’t promise that you’ll understand the whole thing, but if you’re remotely interested in the Coens’ work, you’re sure to appreciate the philosophical, zany nature of it all. A-


Interesting fact:
This is the only seemingly semi-autobiographical film the Coen's have ever done. They too grew up in the Midwest during the 60s, to teacher parents under a strict Jewish upbringing.

14 comments:

  1. Nice write-up! I've seen almost all of these films and loved many of them. FARGO, LEBOWSKI and SERIOUS MAN have to be my favourites, followed by BLOOD SIMPLE, BARTON FINK, and THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE. All amazing films. I also liked their PARIS JE T'AIME segment but agree it was nowhere near as powerful as Payne's.

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  2. I just rewatched THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE... I had seriously forgotten how good it was. A SERIOUS MAN is like that too; I enjoy it so much more everytime I watch it.

    FARGO has gotta be tops for me. Or NO COUNTRY...

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  3. Just watched Blood Simple for the first time since I was like 14. Completely blown away. When I watched it when I was younger I was only familiar with their comedic work and had never seen anything film-noir, but now I'm more learned in both the tropes of noir and the Coen Brothers style it has definitely become one of my favourites

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    1. Oh man, I LOVE Blood Simple, definitely one of my top 4 favorite Coen bros flicks. Glad your rewatching it reaffirmed how much you like it!

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  4. I think your assessments are just about spot on. Hudsucker Proxy worked a little bit more for me, and Raising Arizona a little less, but those are about the only changes I'd make.

    Debuts on par with Blood Simple? I doubt I can think of any, but I'd say Bottle Rocket, Pi, and Brothers McMullen are pretty close.

    I have a weird gap in the middle (2003-2007). Looks like I get to slog through a couple for getting to a treat. It'll be a while though - the to watch queue is long.

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    1. Shocker, you and I are the only ones who don't flip shit for Raising Arizona. Ha. Decent movie, but I definitely would not rank it among their best.

      Yeah Cruelty and Ladykillers are two of their weakest, but No Country... damn man. A modern classic.

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  5. Great stuff. Sorry, I've been commenting so much, but I've been exploring your site for past few hours. Very good work, sir. I believe "A Serious Man" is the biblical Book of Job.

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    1. Thanks! And hey, please do not ever apologize for commenting on this blog. I really appreciate you reading and commenting on some of the posts! It means a lot.

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  6. Another pair of favorite directors for me. I love their style and dark humor. Fargo is definitely in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. Steve Buscemi has never been better and should have won the Oscar that year. I love William H. Macy in the movie as well, but Buscemi was better. Have you been watching the Fargo show that is on TV at the moment? I thought i was gonna hate a show based on one of my favorite movies, but it's actually pretty damn good. Martin Freeman pulls off a great Minnesota accent and Billy Bob Thornton gives one of his best performances in a long time. It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't.

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    1. I've only caught the first two episodes of the show, but I really dug it as well. The film.... forget about it, I love it to death. I can watch it anytime and marvel at its hilarious obscure world.

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  7. I claim to don't like there comedies either. Are good for one laugh, but too?...? Barton Fink was the firs I saw and it's fantastic, really. My and my grandma were stunned by how bad it was received. Fargo...I consider it to be great acted, great directed and great wrote, but the humor don't work for me, I need to watch it again. The Big Lebowski was not so good, I watced it once and left me bored (to tears). Jeff Bridges was fantastic but it didn't delivered for me. O Brother, Where Art Thou,?I saw half of it but was funny, George Clooney, like always, deliver it. Intolerable Cruelty was not that great and left me cold (ice) but I had a good laugh. No Country For Old Men was a absolute masterpiece. The cast is incredible, the directing is one of the smartest I ever saw. I love the film. Burn After Reading was... I saw just 30 minutes and say to myself all the time "WTF?". I see no joke and maybe I'd love it if I watch a second time but thee film was pretty unpleasant. I'll watch really soon: Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, The Man Who Wasn’t There, A Serious Man, True Grit and Inside Llewyn Davis. For me it seems that their writing style doesn't match with the tone of any film, it match just when they direct the film, so I'm not looking (so) forward to see St. James Place.

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    1. The thing about their comedies is that I often love them more upon revisiting them. I didn't like The Big Lebowski at all the first two times I saw it, for example, but I love that film now. Their comedy has a way of growing on me, which is pretty cool. Hope you like the films of theirs you haven't watched yet.

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  8. A few days ago I rewatched O Brother, Where Art Thou?. I didn't get much of Coens humor but I laughed a lot. The music was amazing and George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson were fantastic.

    I saw The Man Who Wasn’t There and was amazing. The B&W photography gave the film a nostalgic feeling, I enjoyed every second of this film. Billy Bob Thornton was really fantastic but like you said Tony Shalhoub was a scene stealer. I love this film.

    I enjoy more dramas than comedies. I'm not entirely sure about giving O Brother, Where Art Thou? an A- (maybe a B or B+) but I'd give to The Man Who Wasn’t There an, well deserved, A+.

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    1. I too prefer their dramas, but some of their comedies kill me. Burn After Reading is genuinely one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I love that flick. O Brother is really groovy too.

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