MOVIE NIGHT #7, #8, #9, #10, #11
Jan. 2nd, 2019 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
between_time_and_42The Films: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, No Country For Old Men, Barton Fink, Burn After Reading, Fargo, A Serious Man [Part 1], The Hudsucker Proxy,Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, Blood Simple. [Part 2]
The Films I Had Already Seen (will be ranking them overall at the end): Inside Llewyn Davis, O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Big Lebowski, True Grit, The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Films I Have Not Seen And Am Not Interested In: Intolerable Cruelty, Hail Caesar!
The Stars for Part 2: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman (The Hudsucker Proxy), Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden (Miller’s Crossing), Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona), Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, and several others (The Ladykillers), John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple.)
Assorted Notes/Thoughts and The Verdicts below!
The continuation of my Coen Brothers marathon.
The Films: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, No Country For Old Men, Barton Fink, Burn After Reading, Fargo, A Serious Man [Part 1], The Hudsucker Proxy,Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, Blood Simple. [Part 2]
The Films I Had Already Seen (will be ranking them overall at the end): Inside Llewyn Davis, O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Big Lebowski, True Grit, The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Films I Have Not Seen And Am Not Interested In: Intolerable Cruelty, Hail Caesar!
The Stars for Part 2: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman (The Hudsucker Proxy), Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden (Miller’s Crossing), Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona), Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, and several others (The Ladykillers), John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple.)
Assorted Notes/Thoughts and The Verdicts: keep reading for more!
…But first, an addendum to my thoughts on The Ballad of Buster Scruggs that wasn’t worth its own post. When I called Harry Melling “angelic,” what was I seeing?? He looked gorgeous in “Meal Ticket” but I’m not at all attracted to him out of character… I don’t know how that happened. Maybe realizing I had seen him in the Harry Potter movies threw me off too much.
Assorted Notes/Thoughts for The Hudsucker Proxy- I was hoping I would like this movie more than I did… and I did, honestly, like this movie. At times it felt strangely like a Disney film, or like something straight out of classic Hollywood- much lighter than any of Coen Brothers movies I’ve seen (I don’t even think anyone said “fuck!”). The protagonist Norville Barnes was very likable (for the most part), and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character was an extreme delight- her fast-paced dialogue delivery blew me away (although her accent was at times painful to my ears). I also laughed out loud at several points, which I’ve never done with any other Coen Brothers film (despite their comedic senses being praised by various sources… the humor is usually presented with such irony or cynicism that I can’t get past it, or it just makes me feel uncomfortable). The part I died laughing at in particular was when Norville was working in the mailroom and had a letter that was too big to fit in its assigned box, but when he started to fold it he noticed it said DO NOT FOLD. I don’t know why, but that absolutely killed me… it probably wasn’t even supposed to be that funny… Not to mention Norville’s solution- to put it in the senior worker’s mailbox with a note to give it to his son- was sweet and served as a quick moment to show how nice he is (the kind of nice characterization he eventually grows out of, and then returns to). Everything from the initial mailroom scene to the scene in Paul Newman’s character’s office (can’t remember his name) was the best part of the movie for me (from “or they’ll dock ya!” to “DO NOT FOLD” to the circle diagram to “BLUE LETTER!!” to Buzz who’s got the fuzz and makes the elevator do what she does- god I loved that character, I laughed at all his jokes even though I felt like a terrible person, where do the casting directors even find such people??- to the whole slapstick moment of Norville trying to put out the trashcan fire and then accidentally causing his boss to fall out the window). The climactic fight between God and Satan (that’s pretty much what that scene was about, right?) was also entertaining, and the ending was sweet. But… I’m not sure where it fell flat for me, but essentially it did fall flat. I felt like it hit all the expected beats, but with no real emotion behind any of it. I can’t put my finger on exactly where exactly it lost me, I just know that it did. (Interestingly, I feel the same way about the Coen Brothers’ movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but we’ll get to that at the end of this post.)
The Verdict- I’ll definitely remember this movie, but not with any particular fondness. Harmless, mindless entertainment. I would love to see it reinterpreted as a Broadway musical.
(For that matter, I would love to see Barton Fink reinterpreted as a stage play, with most of the action taking place in the hotel and Barton and Charlie relaying what had happened “offscreen” through their conversations. (Though it would be difficult to find someone to play Charlie who could come close to John Goodman… I have a few in mind for Barton…) Actually, I have now watched Barton Fink four times and I realized I would like it even more if it were edited down to just the scenes at the hotel.)
Assorted Notes/Thoughts for Miller’s Crossing- Before I watched this I thought it might be a Western. I was sadly mistaken. I enjoy the aesthetic of Westerns and find them entertaining, but gangster/crime dramas are not my speed. This felt to me like a boring version of The Godfather. So much pretty-sounding dialogue- very well-written but my god I could not keep focused on the plot or really comprehend it. Especially because most of the plot was conveyed entirely through this dialogue, with many references to unseen characters throughout the first half. It also seemed surprisingly serious- yet for some reason I’ve heard it classed as a black comedy?? I feel like repeated viewings would yield something good but I can’t put myself through it again. The highlight was finally getting to see Gabriel Byrne in something- previously I only knew him from joking that his name is a combination of two of my favorite musicians, Peter Gabriel and David Byrne. Now I know he’s a decent actor as well. Speaking of decent actors, I was looking forward to seeing John Turturro in this after being wowed by his performance in Barton Fink, but he unfortunately didn’t have many scenes (though the ones that he did have were quite memorable). And speaking of not many scenes, Steve Buscemi’s one-scene cameo was a total delight, using that fast-paced delivery that I’ve noted in so many of the Coen Brothers’ other films. The cinematography was lovely too… I loved all the scenes shot in the woods (at the titular Miller’s Crossing), because everything was so lush and green. And… that’s all I have to say about that.
The Verdict: I won’t deny that it’s a well-made film, but it wasn’t my thing.
Assorted Notes/Thoughts for Raising Arizona- WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT IT WAS HYSTERICAL AND I LOVED IT. I was NOT expecting to like it as much as I did- mostly because I’m no fan of Nicolas Cage, but I liked him a lot here, his acting style really fit the character. And Holly Hunter was so adorable… especially in the scene where they have company and she’s got her hair curled in pigtails for the occasion… Her eyes are so lovely. Anyway, this was one of the wackiest movies I’ve ever seen, and I couldn’t stop laughing throughout. All the characters were completely ridiculous and I enjoyed watching their shenanigans. Yet underneath it all, there was a real sweetness to Hi and Ed’s relationship and the film ended on such a touching note. I do think the movie slowed down a bit after the chase scene involving Hi, the police, the boy from the convenience store, and a pack of dogs- I mean, what could top that, anyway? It was around the time when the bounty hunter entered the story that I lost some interest. He seemed too serious for such a film. Although I appreciated how that character was rendered in an over-the-top way (roaring like a monster at the end…). The climax, where the hunter was chasing Ed while she ran with the baby in her arms, seemed like a deliberate reference to Mad Max- there’s no doubt in my mind that it was. Lastly, I loved the two criminals so much (not in the least because one of them was John Goodman, who I’ve discovered is an excellent actor), and was actually sort of rooting for them to keep the baby, even though they were clearly incompetent parents. I also really want to use two scenes as memes somehow- Ed holding the baby and sobbing “I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!,” and the two criminals screaming in the car when they realize the baby is gone.
The Verdict: What a ridiculous film. I loved it. Will probably watch it again sometime if I’m ever feeling sad.
Assorted Notes/Thoughts for The Ladykillers- Ugh. This was an absolute chore to sit through. Honestly, I knew I wouldn’t like it when one of the first scenes involved a dog’s death being played for laughter. I really only wanted to see this film because I’d seen beautiful screenshots from it, but as it turned out, the beautiful scene I was waiting for was in the last ten minutes of the movie (when the main protagonist is accidentally hung off the bridge). So I had to sit through the inane antics of an entirely unlikable cast of characters (except for the old lady, I loved her, although the way she kept hitting Marlon Wayans’ character disturbed me), none of it being funny. The humor was much too absurd and dark for me, which I just don’t understand. These are the same writers who madeRaising Arizona, which I laughed at continually throughout. Why are their other films so full of painful, forced humor? The only part that really amused me was how the criminals kept dwindling toward the end and their bodies kept being dumped onto barges, and also the fact that one side character was literally named Mountain Girl. But that was it. There was also a disturbing abuse scene being played for black comedy and an uncomfortable accidental suicide, neither of which sat right with me. All the criminal characters were annoying caricatures. I especially hated Tom Hanks’ character, with his constant over-use of big words, his unidentifiable but grating accent, and his irritating laugh. The ending made me angry because even though the old woman got to keep the money- thus ensuring a happy ending for her- it infuriated me that the cops didn’t believe her story, clearly assuming she was senile. They could have solved the crime, goddammit, and they refused to listen! Ugh.
The Verdict: This was…. not good.
Assorted Notes/Thoughts for Blood Simple.- This movie is the reason why it’s taken me so long to finish this marathon, because I decided to try out an experiment with it. I decided to read the script first, before seeing the movie, to see how that would change my viewing experience. (Side note- why does imsdb.com have all the Coen Brothers scripts on it except for Inside Llewyn Davis? It’s readily available to find online elsewhere…) Maybe I’m biased, because the script was my first exposure to the story, but I much preferred the script I read to the script that was filmed. Several humorous scenes and lines that I liked were removed from the final cut (although, as most of these were just small continuations of scenes, I suspect they were filmed but edited out- and I also suspect they were in the theatrical cut, and that I was watching the director’s cut (which is shorter than the theatrical cut), not only because of the lack of these scenes, but also because a song cut from the theatrical version was present in the one I watched- you never know what you’re going to get with these streaming services, I tell you). I found it interesting to see how my visualization of the film matched the actual film- in some cases I was eerily spot-on with how I pictured the locations, like Ray’s bedroom and Abby’s apartment. I also couldn’t picture any of the characters (other than Abby, who I knew was played by (a very young & cute) Frances McDormand). The whole time I read the script I imagined Loren Visser looking something like Anton Chigurh, probably because their roles were similar. It was a surprise to find out what he actually looked like. He was probably my favorite character, oddly enough, although he was the antagonist. I loved his casual demeanor about his job- “If the pay’s good and it’s legal, I’ll do it.” “It’s not strictly legal.” “If the pay’s good, I’ll do it.” And I love the way he died laughing, showing good humor throughout the whole movie (except for the one scene where he killed Marty). I also liked Abby and I loved that she got to kill Visser at the end- it was almost like a horror movie “final girl” scenario. However, the other so-called protagonist, Ray, was such an idiot… Okay, he finds a (seemingly) dead body and he has to get rid of it, and there’s an incinerator in the back of the building where the body was found… Why didn’t he just throw it in the incinerator????????? Surely he couldn’t have buried Marty out of a sign of respect… Even worse, he DID use the incinerator, but only to dispose of the towel he used to clean up the blood. What the fuck, Ray. My other favorite character, Meurice, was sadly under-used, and ultimately served little purpose in the plot, but he had the best lines. I really liked the cinematography (I just love the look of films shot in the 80′s) and I thought the script was well-written, but the movie was a bit slow, especially in the scenes without any dialogue. I wanted to fall asleep at times.
The Verdict: A very interesting film, but I preferred reading the script.
I am not interested in seeing Intolerable Cruelty as it was only directed, not written, by the Coen Brothers, and I also don’t really like romantic comedies. As for Hail Caesar!, I might see that someday, but right now I’m really not feeling it.
The Verdict on the Coens overall: While very few of their films are absolute “wins” in my book, that’s kind of the point. The diversity of their films alone is what attracted me to them. I mean, in this single post I’ve discussed a classic Hollywood throwback, a mob/gangster film, a ridiculous wacky comedy, a farcical black comedy (though calling The Ladykillers comedic feels like undeserved praise), and a thriller/neo-noir. You can immediately tell it’s their work when you watch one of their films, and yet very few of them are anything alike. Genre is a myth when talking about their films- which is the way it should be in general. I also admire their direction and ability to select impressive actors who can deliver stellar performances. But aside from a couple of specific films, I’m not a fan.
Film Rankings Overall
1. Inside Llewyn Davis (I’ve warmed up to this movie in the years since I first saw it, and while I still have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with it, I’m so grateful for the many doors it opened for me, namely my newfound love for folk & acoustic music. And as an aside, it introduced me to the Coen Brothers’ work, which led to this marathon.)
2. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (The only reason this is ranked so high is for nostalgic reasons- I listened to the soundtrack a lot as a kid. Everything about it dictates that I should love it- the entertaining characters, the silly humor, the awesome music- but for some reason, every time I’ve reached the end of the film, I just feel cold and lacking. However, I still enjoy it enough to rank it this high.)
3. Barton Fink
4. True Grit (A superior remake to the original film, and for that matter, a FANTASTIC book adaptation. Aside from one scene that I can think of, everything in the movie was taken straight from the book. I have all the love in my heart for the striking cinematography, the stirring score, and of course Hailee Steinfeld’s performance as my girl Miss Mattie Ross.)
5. Raising Arizona
6. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
7. No Country For Old Men
8. Fargo
9. The Man Who Wasn’t There (I was hoping I would like this one more than I did. Typical noir film (in fact it was weirdly straightforward for the Coen Brothers) with a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. The score was the best part. Granted, I’ve only seen this in bits and pieces (at least, I watched it to the halfway point and then I caught up later by looking up clips), so maybe if I saw the full movie in one sitting, I’d like it more.)
10. The Hudsucker Proxy
11. Burn After Reading
12. Blood Simple.
13. The Big Lebowski (This is a textbook WTF movie. That’s all I have to say about that.)
14. Miller’s Crossing
15. A Serious Man
16. The Ladykillers.
