THE COEN BROTHERS
Here’s a description of the Coen Brothers’ movies from 1984 on. Up to you — some to rent, some not to rent.
Ethan and Joel Coen have been writing, producing and directing films for the last 30 years. Do people either love them or hate them? (Like Woody Allen’s films?) The Coens leap from crime thriller to drama to screwball to black comedy. It’s sometimes easy to see the style of the director to whom they’re paying homage.
The Coens started with Blood Simple in 1984, a nod to film noir and horror. In 1987, Raising Arizona was a hit with slapstick style and a great cast. Miller’s Crossing in 1990 had a gangster feel, set during the prohibition era of the 1930’s. Barton Fink from 1991 was a hit starring John Turturro as a New York to L.A. transplant with writer’s block. In 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy starring Tim Robbins as a dim-bulb CEO was a big failure. Really? I loved this movie. It features Paul Newman, still hunky at age 69, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a fast talker worthy of comparison to Rosalind Russell in The Front Page.
Nineteen ninety-six brought us Fargo. (Loved it? Hated it?) It was a critical and box-office success, winning Frances McDormand a Best Actress Oscar. William H. Macy was a superb sad sack who sets up a fraudulent kidnapping to extort money from his rich father-in-law. Every character is quirky. The Big Lebowski from 1998 has become a cult favorite, with Jeff Bridges as “The Dude,” one of his first slob roles.
In 2000 the Coens presented O Brother, Where Art Thou, with George Clooney doing a great comic turn. It was another hit. The Man Who Wasn’t There with Billy Bob Thornton appeared in 2001. Intolerable Cruelty in 2003 returned George Clooney to a Coen project and costarred Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Ladykillers in 2004 starred Tom Hanks, but was not received warmly.
In 2007 No Country For Old Men brought the Coens back to center stage, winning Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. Burn After Reading In 2008, with Clooney again and Brad Pitt, hit number one in its debut.
“The Men Who Stare At Goats” from 2009 was a quirky Coen Brothers film. This one starred George Clooney too (as Coen movies usually do these days).
The Coen Brothers’ diversity makes them a standout. Come to think of it, their films differ from one another so strongly, you might love some and hate some.
Here's Looking At You, Kit 