Like the unflashy 'Fargo' the greatness of 'Inside Llewyn Davis', the Coen Bros’ story of a struggling folk singer in the 60’s, sneaks up on you, only to realize long after the picture is over you've just watched a masterpiece which you need to watch again and again.
Showing posts with label Coen Bros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coen Bros. Show all posts
Monday, 23 December 2013
Monday, 9 January 2012
The Hudsucker Proxy
Starring: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman
****
By Alan Bacchus
If there was a support group for fans of The Hudsucker Proxy, I’d be the first to join. For the longest time, Hudsucker was considered the Coens’ official ‘failure’, a big budget Joel Silver-produced critical and commercial bomb. Though Fargo has the praise, prestige and Oscar win attached to it, on a personal level The Hudsucker Proxy is my all-time favourite Coens film, and I’ve been taking flack for it for years.
The story is about Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), a down-on-his-luck college grad (Muncie College of Business Administration), who starts off in the mailroom of Hudsucker Industries and then instantly gets promoted to CEO in an attempt by Chairman of the Board, Sidney J, Mussburger (Paul Newman), to reduce the stock price for personal gain. But Norville isn’t the imbecile Mussburger thinks he is, and he in fact turns his simplistic idea of a round piece of plastic into the hula hoop phenomenon. Norville becomes the toast of the town, but then is brought down by a meddling newspaper reporter, Amy Archer, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh by way of Katherine Hepburn. At the worst moment of his life, Norville attempts to commit suicide by jumping off the 44th floor (not counting the Mezzanine) until a moment of divine intervention brings him back to life.
It was generally agreed at the time that Hudsucker was the most visually stunning American film in years and arguably the claim holds up today. There’s never a dull moment. From the opening shot we're reminded of Citizen Kane, a long tracking shot into a large building with lovely snow falling, a single light illuminated in the background. The city is clearly a model – like the opening push into the spinning globe in Casablanca - so, right away, we’re given the rules of the film – it’s an homage to the past and a fantasy film.
The opening sequence, which shows how Norville is hired by the company, is tremendous. More than just a virtuoso technical exercise, it establishes the themes of the film - karma, the circle, the clock and many of the metaphors that will be repeated in the film. There are so many details to be discovered in subsequent viewings, including Mussberger’s cigar (note how the length changes throughout the film), the contrasting devil and angel characters of Moses the Clock Man and Aloysius the Spy, as well as the half-dozen other virtuoso moments in the film, including the mail room sequence, the Hula Hoop sequence and the rousing finale.
Borrowing from the best Bogart, Hepburn, Grant, Bacall and Edward G. Robinson exchanges of the past, the dialogue zings along at lightning pace – gags are disguised in between lines and over top of other lines (think His Girl Friday meets Bringing Up Baby meets Mr. Deeds Goes to Town). It’s impossible to catch it all in one sitting. Todd McCarthy (Variety) described the film as esoteric, which is a cop-out criticism. Sure, the idea and influence is esoteric, and buffs may enjoy it on another level, but the themes are universal and inspiring. The story is remarkably tight, as not a scene, line of dialogue, character or prop is wasted. With Norville hanging in mid-air during the fight between Moses and Aloysius in the gears of the clock, it's a perfectly constructed climax and includes the most clever use of a man’s dentures. Adding ample support is Carter Burwell’s usually proficient score. It’s perhaps his best, a grand series of compositions - humorous, melancholy and epic all at once.
It may come as no surprise that the film was co-written by Sam Raimi, who blends his unappreciated comic touch with the Coen's style seamlessly. Of course, the Coens and the Raimis have a long history with each other, and I hope there will be more collaborations in the future.
The reputation of Hudsucker is growing with encouragement from bloggers and fanboys like me, so I think my support group would have a lot of members. But the hit we all took as fans over the years still stings, and we all need more comfort. The best you can do is watch and, hopefully, enjoy the film.
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: The Hudsucker Proxy, Charles Durning
Friday, 23 September 2011
The Big Lebowski
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro
***½
By Alan Bacchus
I am one of those viewers who initially dismissed this film upon first viewing and yet grew to appreciate it with age. Why so many critics and regular movie-goers feel the same way is a curious phenomenon. Some talk about the expectations following Fargo, a morose melancholy noir picture vs. Lebowski, a rambling piece of comic fluff designed solely to generate laughs. I’m not sure my expectations had anything to do with it.
Looking back at the film it’s a heavily plotted story, which requires some attention to ‘follow along’ the accidental journey of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski from being a pot smoking couch potato to a reluctant gumshoe scouring the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles for the answers to the kidnapping of his benefactor’s daughter.
Getting caught up in the abc’s of the plot can certainly distract a viewer from the truly delightful and sublime interactions of the three affable heroes. The Dude, as played by Jeff Bridges, is disarmingly funny. We don’t realize he’s funny because he’s so serious and sure of himself. John Goodman’s character, Walter Sobchak, is a hail fire of rage and intensity peppered with random idiosyncrasies, such as his devotion to Judaism and his post-war trauma rages. And Steve Buscemi is rendered so meek and sympathetic as a willing subject to Walter’s brutality, he ceases to be a character and becomes more of an inanimate comic punching bag.
And yet this trio is so magnificent, their comic timing is as close to perfection as comedy gets. Just watch Goodman’s face, the intensity of his eyes and the commanding presence of his sitting posture. And watch Bridge’s posture, almost always lounging or at an angle in his chair, a champion of the world of his own. And hell, every time Walter says, “Shut the fuck up Donny,” it's hilarious punctuation to every scene.
The Coens throw just about anything they can to keep us off kilter and stimulated with new startling imagery. The introduction of Julianne Moore’s character, Maude, a radical abstract artist flying in on a rope to splatter her latest creation with paint from above, is dreamy fun. And the fantasy sequences exercise those stylish cinematic muscles that lay dormant in Fargo, but rear their head so magnificently here. The bowling sequences beautify the garish working class playground of the bowling alley, culminating in the bizarro but beautiful Busby Berkeley sequence later in the film.
The film is a delight to watch over and over again because knowing the plotting from the first viewing allows the audience to relax and enjoy these individual moments, specifically putting oneself in the shoes of the Coens’ affable and naive hero, The Dude, Bridges’ most inspired character of his career.
The Big Lebowski is available on Special Edition Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Blood Simple
Starring: Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya, M Emmett Walsh
****
By Alan Bacchus
The confidence and command of the medium with this very first feature film from the Coen Bros is kind of astounding. The loosely documented story behind the making of this film has it that Coen Bros made a short demo, or trailer for the film as a pitch to some family friends to invest in their feature version. With their meticulously detailed story board, the maximized their million and a half budget instantly launching their successful career.
It’s a remarkably precise execution of their for the brothers . Despite some rough-around-the-edges cinematography Blood Simple is tight as can be. No shot seems wasted. An artfully rendered jigsaw puzzle, full of crafty shadowy characters all of whom with their own dispicable agendas. We’re not even sure who to root for. The thrill is in the clever unveiling of this dynamic anti-morality tale of greed, desire and a little bit of chance.
Most of the familiar Coens’ motifs are present in this first outing. The opening shot for instance features a car speeding down an open road at night, visuals cues prevalent in Fargo, Raising Arizona and No Country For Old Men. Even M Emmett Walsh’s lazy, heavily-accented narration told with the simplicity of a fairytale forecasts it’s use in Raising Arizona, Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski and more.
The story, a deliciously plotted pot boiler, bringing to mind the best of Hollywood noir of the 40’s and 50’s. Ray and Abby (Getz and McDormand) are lovers hiding out from Abby’s husband Marty (Hedaya), who also happens to be Ray’s boss in the local saloon. Marty suspects something and hires an old private dick (Walsh) to confirm his suspicions. The detective even offers to kill them both for a tidy sum. After Marty’s double-crossed and left dead, in order to properly clean up the trail of evidence he has to kill Abby and Ray.
But the detective finds an unusually strong opponent in Abby, resulting a remarkable cat and mouse chase in her loft apartment, a memorable blood curdling finale to an ice cold nihlist thriller.
The Coens are not shy to put their cinematic style in front of content and character. But it’s a noir film and the genre requires this kind of panache and swagger. The Coens have it spades, impressing us with clever camera moves, including their famous bar tracking shot which has their camera creep along the thin rail of the bar then literally move up and over a drunkard passed out on a stool. The more erratic camera moves seem to be influenced by Barry Sonenfeld, their first DOP, who would go on to direct his films and use similar expressive moves. But the Coens also know when to slow down and hold our attention. Numerous scenes use excessive silences to amplify the tension before unleashing it’s force. The sniper scene is remarkably tense, a Hitchcockian scene through and through, one short moment drawn out by creative editing for a long as possible to maximize the shock value.
The Coens revel in the detailed procedural actions of their characters. When Ray discovers Marty's dead body in his office for instance, it begins a lengthy sequence showing his disposal of the body. Again, as influenced by Hitchcock, the steps taken by Ray to clean the scene, and transport the body into the car along the highway and eventually to it’s final destination in the shallow grave of a farmer’s field is remarkably involving, like Norman Bates' removal of Janet Leigh's body in Psycho, or the famous sack of potatoes scene in Frenzy. Though Marty’s body never moves at any time, in the back of our minds, we expect him to come back to life and attack Ray.
And remarkably it isn’t until the final act when the Coens find their true hero, Abby, the meek unassuming female victim, who at first is characterized as a femme fatale, another recurring theme for the Coen's, a resourceful everyman or woman who trumps the miscreants at their own game.
Blood Simple is available on Blu-Ray from MGM Home Entertainment
Saturday, 25 December 2010
True Grit
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper
***
By Alan Bacchus
Just last week I watched the original True Grit for the first time on Blu-Ray. Knowing I would see the Coen’s version a week later it was cause for pause. After all, which ever film I saw first would likely colour my opinion of the other one. I was pleasantly surprised at the original True Grit, it’s a fine film and perfectly suited to an update because of its strong foundation of the genre, its progressive themes and a modern style that it looks terrific with today’s eyes.
And so now we have the Coen Bros version which is surprisingly reverent to the original film and likely the original novel (which I haven’t read). Like the Hathaway/Wayne version, the core story of a sprite young girl seeking revenge against the death of her father and the cross-generational relationship with an aging alcoholic gunslinger is classic stuff. Like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven there’s pathos in the journey and resonant themes of violence, vengeance and the tropes of the Western genre itself.
Hailee Steinfeld playing Mattie Ross, just as Kim Darby played her, is the driving force of the film. The Coen’s open it up with a familiar tone, a melancholy introduction, opening narration complimented by a pitch perfect piano melody by Carter Burwell. We see Mattie Ross’ father lying dead on the ground, as described by Ross, a heinous murdered committed by a criminal named Cheney. We then see Mattie arrive into a small Arkansas town looking to bring his father’s body home, close off his assets and affairs and hire someone to bring his killer to justice. She finds her man in Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a one-eyed U.S. Marshal described as having ‘grit’ – true grit.
Despite being 14 her confidence and aggressiveness as a businesswoman pushes herself passed everything that stands in her way. Not only does she hire Cogburn, she makes $350 selling off her father’s useless ponies to the coral owner who had no desire to buy them. Mattie also meets up with a smarmy Texas Ranger named LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) who also desires to bring in Cheney, but to Texas to see him hanged for his crimes in his state. Soon the unlikely trio find themselves on a lengthy journey to catch their killer.
Each of the key events and set pieces along the way are almost identical to the John Wayne version. And why not, it was a marvellous original screenplay, and so the Coens are smart not to mess with what’s working. They even quicken up the pace by jumping right into the story of Mattie’s search. Gone is the opening sequence showing her father travelling to town and getting killed.
Stylistically the Coens hold back from their idiosyncratic tendencies from A Serious Man and No Country For Old Men. Their reverence of the genre means everything is played straight, letting the characters, conflict and story lead us. The dynamic trio of Ross, LeBoeuf and Cogburn creates a fine narrative anchor. LeBoeuf in particular is the perfect foil for both Cogburn and Ross. We immediately identify with Ross, the innocent young gal avenging her father. And for Cogburn, we know his character inside and out. He’s the antihero of the Western. He’s those John Wayne heroes, like Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, or Alan Ladd’s Shane, aged, but still an anti-establishment loner. LeBoeuf compliments both characters perfectly. His conflict with Ross, who constantly disapproves of her presence in the posse and his fun repartee with Cogburn over the merits of the US Marshal service vs. Texas Rangers service is a fun humourous throughline.
Where this new version fails to supersede the 1969 version is the performance of Steinfeld. Her version is good and she sells the mature confidence of Ross, but there was some kind of spark in Kim Darby that is absent in Steinfeld. Perhaps it was the feminist bent to Darby’s performance, reflective of the year in which that film was made – the liberal 60’s.
But where the Coens’ version is elevated above the original is the fantastic third act wherein that magical touch of dreamy melancholy takes the film to another level. The courage and heroism of all three characters to support each other as a team wonderfully completes their combined arc of unity. By the end Cogburn, Leboeuf and Ross form their own little family, and the Coen Bros' tender treatment of this is emotionally satisfying in a way the original never achieved.
Friday, 11 September 2009
TIFF 2009: A Serious Man
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Sari Lennick, George Wyner, Richard Kind
**1/2
Larry Gopnick has lived his life doing everything right, everything he thought he should do to make a living and succeed. It’s the 1960’s and he lives in saccharine suburban Minnesota, with a wife and two kids, a stabile job, decent health and a protective circle of Jewish friends and relatives. And so, when, in a matter of weeks, piece-by-piece, Larry’s life comes crashing down seemingly at random, he’s befuddled and unable cope.
It’s a familiar arena for the Coens, a skewed perspective of everyday life from a humble everyman just trying to get by. Larry Gopnick (played well by newcomer Michael Stuhlbarg) is a hero not unlike Billy Bob Thornton’s Ed Crane character from ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’ who just cuts the hair, or the meek and ineffectual Barton Fink – an affable boob who finds himself pushed around without a shred of backbone to enable him to take charge in his life. Depicting Larry as a mathematics professor is the introduction to the overriding theme of action and consequence. Cause and effect is the stuff of math and physics and for Larry every action has an equal and opposite reaction. And so when his wife reveals she’s leaving him, his university job is suddenly in jeopardy, his brother who is found out to be a defiling pederast the equation doesn’t compute.
This is the story of “A Serious Man” a film more in the league of the morose, cynical and very skewed take on suburban life of ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’ than the plot driven noir of ‘No Country For Old Men’ or the slapstick farce of ‘Burn After Reading’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’.
With it’s loose plotting, the Coens rely on the episodic and situational absurdities to drive the story. And indeed there are some real zingers. There’s Larry’s obnoxious wife Judith who announces with stone-faced smugness she’s leaving Larry and remarrying his good friend Sy Abelman. There’s his son Danny who is both studying for his Torah reading and dealing pot on the side. There’s a Korean student who tries to bribe Larry into changing his F into an A. There’s his brother Arthur who has to use a suction device to remove the liquid from the boil on his neck daily.
Unfortunately the whole is not equal or greater than the sum of it’s parts. The film suffers most, obviously, from Larry’s inactivity as a protagonist. We don’t need to get out the Syd Field book to recognize that we desperately want Larry to take action, fight back, stand up for himself. The Coens are aware of this and make it part of the story but this acknowledgement does not make it less frustrating.
As well the Coens again refuse to provide us with a real ending, as if their free association of scenes, moments and characters just ran out, and decided to pack it in and call it a day with a cut to black. With the aid of the bookending Jefferson Airplane song it’s made more palatable than the jarring final cut in ‘No Country For Old Men” or sudden ending of “Burn After Reading”, but the film feels no more complete.
‘A Serious Man’ should be savoured for its inspired personal reflections on the Coen’s youthful experiences with Judaism. Laughs are big and small, and most of the time a constant smile on face persisted past its failings but we require more from the brothers and though I wanted to love the film, it has to rank as a disappointment.
Monday, 22 December 2008
BURN AFTER READING
Burn After Reading (2008) dir. Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt
**1/2
“Burn After Reading” is definitely a lesser Coens’ film - a slapdash effort of haphazardly put together scenes and ideas, like a bunch of leftovers from their other films loosely strung together. It’s set-up to be a wonderful comedy of errors, in the tradition of great crime-comedies, “A Fish Called Wanda”, “Ruthless People” or “Midnight Run”, but a lack of focus on one character results in an unrealized mess.
Four main characters, each with different agendas provide the anchor-points for this complex cat and mouse spy-comedy. First there’s Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) who’s recently been fired from his job at the CIA. There’s George Clooney as Harry Pfarrer, a Treasury Dept officer who’s sleeping with Cox’s wife Katie (Tilda Swinton). In order to plot some divorce action against Osborne Katie copies Cox’s personal finance files onto a CD, which she accidently misplaces at a local fitness gym.
Enter Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) two hapless gym employees who find the disc, and thinking it’s secret CIA information, blackmail Cox for $50,000. Harry Pfarrer is also a sex addict and goes on a blind date with Litzke, not knowing she’s involved with the extortion plot against Katie’s husband. The precarious Jenga tower of plotting and scheming eventually tumbles down once the dead bodies pile up.
The fundamental problem is the lack of a clear protagonist. From the opening scene, it appears to be John Malkovich’s character. His opening scene is fantastic, hilarious, as he get politely fired from his job. But then the film is taken over by Frances McDormand. She is also identifiable as a desperate and insecure woman who is unhappy with the body and her social life. George Clooney appears to be acting in a completely different movie. His smug, permanent grin, lifted out of his other so-called ‘idiot films’ “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “Intolerable Cruelty” masks the lack of character he’s provided with. We’re never introduced to him properly, never learn about who he is, or what his needs are. We’re just supposed to accept his charm because he’s George Clooney.
Despite the frustrations, the film provided the most gut-busting laughs this year, or even last year, and maybe even the year before. John Malkovich steals the movie. He plays the ‘straight-man’ in the whole affair and the only one who questions the absurd actions of the characters from the audience’s point of view. Malkovich’s banter with Brad Pitt is comic gold. Chad Feldheimer’s hilariously ill-conceived and poorly rehearsed telephone conversation with Cox is perhaps the highlight. Malkovich distributes the f-bombs to Pitt’s naïve Feldheimer with David Mamet-like force. It’s Malkovich’s best performance since “Being John Malkovich” and the scene-stealer of the year.
As if they have run out of ideas, the Coens literally give up at the end, and shut the film down just when it’s getting good. The film leads up to a confrontation or some sort with the main characters, all of whom, unknowingly, are at odds with each other. But the Coens tie the loose ends with a conversation, with the final actions of the lead characters described to us by supporting characters in a hasty denouement.
While I appreciate the quick turnaround in content after “No Country For Old Men”, “Burn After Reading” clearly went into production a draft or two before it should have ( I suspect Pitt and Clooney’s busy schedules likely dictated the greenlight). So I’m torn between the sheer laziness of the Coens with the big laughs which I cannot discount. Malkovich alone is worth the price of admission. Enjoy.
"Burn After Reading" is available on DVD from Alliance Films
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
No Country For Old Men (2007) dir. Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson
****
Hollywood has just done the unthinkable - given the Best Picture Oscar twice in a row to two of the more darker, nihilistic mainstream films we’ve seen hit our multiplexes (including 2006’s “The Departed”). I welcome this trend as revenge against some of the more egregious Oscar choices over the years.
“No Country For Old Men’s” masterfulness lies in its sparse depiction of two men fueled by greed to find a lost satchel of money – a head to head battle with a dozen or more corpses left in their wake. But despite all the praise, “No Country For Old Men” frustrates me in almost equal measure by its unnecessarily obtuse ending that on second viewing feels even less satisfying.
Tommy Lee Jones narrates the film like an omniscient observer of the events about to take place (like Sam Elliot in “The Big Lebowski” or Moses the Clockman in “Hudsucker Proxy”). He’s a sheriff with a wealth of knowledge and experience about the violent nature of man. His opening speech describes a teenage boy he sent to the electric chair without any second thoughts. The boy was made of pure evil –the Michael Myers type of evil that has no rational thought, emotion, or sanity.
Our hero is Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who, while hunting in the desert, accidentally discovers a dope deal gone wrong – a half dozen dead bodies as well as a dead dog. Left over is the classic briefcase full of money - $2 million worth – enough for Moss and his shy wife, Carla (Kelly MacDonald) to retire. Moss is an intelligent character established by showing the details of his thought-process. He knows someone will eventually come looking for the money. And so, like a great chess player he calculates several moves ahead of his adversaries. But for most of the film, he doesn’t know who’s pursuing him – just a relentless force of nature – echoing footsteps in a hall, or a vacant voice on the phone.
This force of nature is the evil Jones describes to us at the beginning. The Bubonic Plague with legs - Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). The Michael Myers (“Halloween”) comparison is appropriate not only in his actions, but also how he is shot by the Coens. He is slow, methodical and literally impossible to kill. His weapon of choice is an oxygen tank and a silenced shotgun.
Like “Fargo” the Coens leave style and cleverness on the cutting room floor and tell the story with a sparse cinematic technique. The performances and characters lead the story. Josh Brolin has never been better – and to think the brothers didn’t want Brolin for the role. It took an audition tape directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to convince them to let Brolin in the door. And now, I couldn’t imagine anyone else in that role. Oscar-winner Javier Bardem’s showcase scene is his confrontation with a gas station attendant. The rhythm of dialogue is off-putting and tense. Bardem sets a new bar for sadistic maniacs. Move over Hannibal Lector – you’ve been trumped.
Three quarters of the film is a quid pro quo chase through Texas and into Mexico. Like the detailed mechanics of the events in “Blood Simple” the Coens craft a series of masterful sequences of predator and prey. The piece-de-résistance of sequences – which should win the Coen’s their first directing Oscar - is a scene which starts with a hotel room confrontation between Moss and Anton and ends out on the street amid a hail of bullets and blood.
But after achieving greatness for three quarters, after a key death the film slowly peters out with little action or drama that significantly affects the story. The film turns into Tommy Lee Jones’ story at the end, which still frustrates me. Though the voiceover in the film is Jones’ he is virtually inactive and doesn’t affect the plot or events in the story. The book is an anti-climax, and so is the film. The Coens, on the DVD featurette, describe to us, with verve this fact. But recognizing this fact doesn’t make it any more satisfying or great. And for a film so inspired Jones’ final speech and obnoxious ‘cut to black’ is just a slap in my face. A film this great deserves better. Enjoy.
"No Country For Old Men" is available on DVD this week from Miramax Films and Alliance Films"
Thursday, 15 November 2007
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
No Country for Old Men (2007) dir. Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly MacDonald
****
“No Country For Old Men” is like no other film. Only Sam Peckinpah at his drunkest (“The Getaway” or “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia”) could compare to the assault of bloody carnage that is this film. It’s the most emotionally dispassionate film about greed and violence I’ve ever seen. Saying all that, the film may be a masterpiece, but it’s not perfect - a complex backstory emerges, with much of it left unclear and for us to fill in the gaps, as well as an obtuse ending that will make your head scratch. But its masterfulness lies in its sparse depiction of two men fueled by greed to find a lost satchel of money – a head to head battle with a dozen or more corpses left in their wake.
I haven’t read the novel by Cormac McCarthy, and so I will only comment on the film itself - not what was left out, expanded or contracted, or what was better about the book. And beware of some spoilers towards the end of this review.
Tommy Lee Jones narrates the film like an omniscient observer of the events about to take place (like Sam Elliot in “The Big Lebowski” or Moses the Clockman in “Hudsucker Proxy”). He’s a sheriff with a wealth of knowledge and experience about the violent nature of man. His opening speech describes a teenage boy he sent to the electric chair without any second thoughts. The boy was made of pure evil –the Michael Myers type of evil that has no rational thought, emotion, or sanity.
Our hero is Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who, while hunting in the desert, accidentally discovers a dope deal gone wrong – a half dozen dead bodies as well as a dead dog. Left over is the classic briefcase full of money - $2 million worth – enough for Moss and his shy wife, Carla (Kelly MacDonald) to retire. Moss is an intelligent character established by showing the details of his thought-process. He knows someone will eventually come looking for the money. And so, like a great chess player he calculates several moves ahead of his adversaries. But for most of the film, he doesn’t know who’s persuing him – just a relentless force of nature – echoing footsteps in a hall, or a vacant voice on the phone.
This force of nature is the evil Jones describes to us at the beginning. The Bubonic Plague with legs - Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). The Michael Myers (“Halloween”) comparison is appropriate not only in his actions, but also how he is shot by the Coens. He is slow, methodical and literally impossible to kill. His weapon of choice is an oxygen tank and a silenced shotgun.
Three quarters of the film is a quid pro quo chase through Texas and into Mexico. Like the detailed mechanics of the events in “Blood Simple” the Coens craft a series of masterful sequences of predator and prey. The piece-de-résistance of sequences – which should win the Coen’s their first directing Oscar - is a scene which starts with a hotel room confrontation between Moss and Anton and ends out on the street amid a hail of bullets and blood.
Like “Fargo” the Coens leave style and cleverness on the cutting room floor and tell the story with a sparse cinematic technique. The performances and characters lead the story. Josh Brolin has never been better – and to think the brothers didn’t want Brolin for the role. It took an audition tape directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to convince them to let Brolin in the door. And now, I couldnf’t imagine anyone else in that role. Javier Bardem, who has been buzzed about ever since they started shooting, is the real deal. The showcase scene for Bardem is his confrontation with a gas station attendant. The rhythm of dialogue is off-putting and tense. Bardem sets a new bar for sadistic maniacs. Move over Hannibal Lector – you’ve been trumped.
But as I said the film is not perfect. In fact it ticked me off towards the end… SPOILERS ahead. The exit of one of the characters got me very angry. Somewhere in the third act he/she is killed off unceremoniously and we are given only a quick shot of the dead body to identify them to us. It was so quick I missed it, and so I was confused for the rest of the film whether he/she was dead or not. But my issue is not the killing of one of our heroes, but the fact it was done off-screen. Ok, it’s clear the Coens are telling us that their film is not typical cinematic fare, where heroes die like heroes and villains die like villains. Does that make the film better or greater? I will likely learn to accept this in subsequent viewings, but I will stay mad at the film for not giving me the final dramatic confrontation the film had been setting up the entire way.
The film also turns into Tommy Lee Jones’ story at the end. This confused me. Though the voiceover in the film is Jones’ he is virtually inactive and doesn’t affect the plot or events in the story. I’m still trying to reason the significance of his two final monologues – one to his ex-partner and the other to his wife at the end. It’s not clear to me and I desperately wish it was. For a film that was so clear and focused for 105 mins, having the final 15 mins as obscure and obtuse as it is confounds me.
But “No Country For Old Men” is still the must-see film of the year. And with the precedent of “The Departed” the Academy doesn’t seem to have a problem with high body counts, so I hope we see the Coen Bros on the podium come Oscar season. Enjoy.
Here’s a piece from the IFC News:
Sunday, 16 September 2007
TIFF REPORT #13 - No Country For Old Men
No Country for Old Men (dir by Joel and Ethan Coen) 2007
Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly MacDonald
****
Guest review by Blair Stewart
Here's a last Toronto review to come your way. It's the most buzzed about film, Coen's instant classic - "No Country For Old Men".
A mean son-of-a-bitch of a film, the Coen brothers have shaken off the light-weight doldrums of "Intolerable Cruelty" and "The Ladykillers" for a return to their "Blood Simple" roots with an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's neo-western "No Country for Old Men".
Laconic Vietnam veteran Moss (Josh Brolin) is out hunting antelope in the backcountry of early 80's West Texas when he discovers the remains of a Mexican drug deal turned "colossal goat-fuck" as one character puts it mildly. Finding $2 million convinces him to pack up his little lady (Kelly Macdonald) and leave his trailer park existence behind for the open road, with some help from the remaining drug dealers and an angel of death embodied by Javier Bardem nipping as his heels. Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones is Sherriff
Ed Tom Bell, cleaning up their messes and anticipating their next moves.
A relentless thriller that curls and doubles-back on itself like a desert snake, "No Country for Old Men" strength comes from its unpredictable plot shifts, unconventional casting, awe-inspiring bloodlust (Bardem mows down half of the entire cast, and would make mincemeat of Hannibal Lector), and dry, brittle Texas dialogue.
This is return to form for the Coens after their recent audience-friendly work, the characters have been tripped of caricature and the humour is shaded with misery, hopefully a sign of maturity in their subsequent work, like the impact of "The Unforgiven" on Clint Eastwood's as a director. Highly recommended, just be sure to shield your eyes.
Sunday, 3 June 2007
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
The Big Lebowski (1998) dir. Joel Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman Steve Buscemi
***1/2
“The Big Lebowski” is a curious film. Hot after their most successful film ever, “Fargo” which won the Coen Bros. an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, their next film was highly anticipated. Even after a hyped-up Cannes Special Presentation “The Big Lebowski” seemed to disappoint most critics and audiences. It’s ranked only sixth in its opening weekend and ended with only $17million in domestic box office. But over time the film has grown a cult following, and it’s generally considered to be one of their best and certainly funniest films.
After a trip to the grocery store to buy some milk, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski comes home to find 2 assailants have broken into his house looking for some money owed to their boss, Jackie Treehorn. But it’s a case of mistaken identity. They are looking for ‘a’ Jeff Lebowski, not ‘the’ Jeff Lebowski. The assailants leave but not before one of them pees on The Dude’s rug. This incident angers him, mostly because, in his words, “it tied the room together”.
In search of compensation for his reug, The Dude vists the other Lebowksi, an eccentric wheelchair-bound millionaire, who lives in a Hearst-like mansion. He discovers the Big Lebowski’s trophy wife, Bunny, has been kidnapped and has been ransomed off by Treehorn who is a pornographic filmmaker. Somehow The Dude gets hired to find Bunny and deliver the ransom money. The Dude brings his bowling teammate, Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) to help him in his endeavours. Their hijinks and misadventures take them across the city of L.A. meeting a whole sort of quirky characters, from Julianne Moore’s performance-artist sister of Lebowski, Maude, to her three nihilist henchmen to the porn king himself, played by Ben Gazzera. Since the film is based on the famously complex Hawks film “The Big Sleep”, the plot points are virtually impossible to summarize. But like most Raymond Chandler stories, “Lebowski” is not necessarily plot-driven, as situation-driven. The journey of The Dude and Walter involve a series of increasingly weird situations of conflict which moves the plot forward.
After the minimalism of “Fargo”, “Lebowski’s situation plot structure allowed the Coens better opportunity to exploit their trademark visual flare. Bridges is given three surreal dream sequences which allow the brothers to flex these muscles. Of course the most memorable is the Busby Berkeley sequence which is so long it’s given its own title sequence. T-Bone Burnett is employed to bring us a unique pop music soundtrack which includes memorable use of the CCR, The Gypsy Kings, Captain Beefhart, Elvis Costello, Kenny Rogers, Bob Dylan and more.
Much of the ‘cultness’ of the film is owed to Jeff Bridges who embodies “The Dude” perfectly. He is one of the most affable heroes in cinema history - a pot-smoking ex-hippie, who wears oversized sweaters and pajama pants. He mumbles and bumbles into situations with the carefree attitude of Columbo and walks with a slow and meandering gate. His manners and method of speech and dialogue scenes with Walter are so pleasurable he’s one of the most memorable of the long line of memorable Coen’s Bros. characters.
Enjoy.
Buy it here: The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) dir Joel Coen
Starring: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman
****
If there were a support group for “Hudsucker Proxy” fans, I’d be the first to join. For the longest time, “Hudsucker” was considered the Coens’ official ‘failure’, a big budget Joel Silver-produced critical and commercial bomb. Though “Fargo” has the praise, prestige and Oscar win attached to it, on a personal level “The Hudsucker Proxy” is my all-time favourite Coens’ film, and I’ve been taking flack for it for years.
The story is of Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), a down-on-his-luck college grad (Muncie College of Business Administration) who starts off in the mailroom of Hudsucker Industries then instantly gets promoted to CEO in an attempt by Chairman of the Board, Sidney J, Mussburger (Paul Newman) to reduce the stock price for personal gain. But Norville isn’t the imbecile Mussburger thinks he is, and he in fact, turns his simplistic idea of a round piece of plastic into the hula hoop phenomenon. Norville becomes the toast of the town, but then is brought down by a meddling newspaper reporter Amy Archer, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh by way of Katherine Hepburn. At the worst moment of his life, Norville attempts to commit suicide by jumping off the 44th floor (not counting the Mezzanine), until a moment of divine intervention brings him back to life.
It was generally agreed at the time that “Hudsucker” was the most visually stunning American film in years and arguably the claim holds up today. There’s never a dull moment. From the opening shot we're reminded of “Citizen Kane”, a long tracking shot into a large building, with lovely snow falling, a single light illuminated in the background. The city is clearly a model – like the opening push into the spinning globe in “Casablanca” - and so, right away, we’re given the rules of the film – it’s an homage to the past and a fantasy film.
The opening sequence which shows how Norville is hired by the company is tremendous. More than just a virtuoso technical exercise, it establishes the themes of the film - karma, the circle, the clock and many of the metaphors that will be repeated in the film. There are so many details to be discovered in subsequent viewings, including Mussberger’s cigar (note how the length changes throughout the film), contrasting devil and angel characters of Moses the Clock Man and Aloysius the Spy, as well as the half dozen other virtuoso moments in the film, including the mail room sequence, the Hula Hoop sequence, and the rousing finale.
Borrowing from the best Bogart, Hepburn, Grant, Bacall, Edward G. Robinson exchanges of the past, the dialogues zings along at a lightning pace – gags are disguised in between lines and over top of other lines (think “His Girl Friday” meets “Bringing Up Baby” meets “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”). It’s impossible to catch it all in one sitting. Todd McCarthy (Variety) described the film as esoteric, which is a cop-out criticism. Sure, the idea and influence is esoteric, and buffs may enjoy it on another level, but the themes are universal and inspiring. The story is remarkably tight, not a scene, line of dialogue, character, or prop is wasted. With Norville hanging in mid-air during the fight between Moses and Aloysius in the gears of the clock is a perfectly constructed climax, and includes the most clever use of a man’s dentures. Adding ample support is Carter Burwell’s usually proficient score. It’s perhaps his best, a grand series of compositions - humorous, melancholy and epic all at once.
It may come as no surprise that the film was co-written by Sam Raimi who blends his unappreciated comic touch with the Coen's style seamlessly. Of course the Coens and the Raimis have a long history with each other and I wish there will be more collaborations in the future.
The reputation of “Hudsucker” is growing with encouragement from bloggers and fanboys like me. So I think my support group would have a lot of members, but the hit we all took as fans over the years still stings, and we all need more comfort. The best you can do is watch and, hopefully, enjoy the film.
Buy it here: The Hudsucker Proxy
The mailroom:
The Hula Hoop:
Thursday, 12 April 2007
FARGO
Fargo (1996) dir. Joel Coen
Starring: Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy
****
One of the all-time great black comedies, “Fargo” remains the Coen Bros' best film. Although with the number of rabid fans out there will be debaters, and certainly “Miller’s Crossing”, and “The Big Lebowski” have large followings, but since their Oscar says “Fargo” on it, this is the film they will be remembered for.
The snowcapped Midwest never looked so depressing. The film opens on a majestic long shot of a wintry road in the middle of nowhere, a lone car driving in the distance. It’s Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a hapless used car salesman on his way to make a deal with 2 equally hapless criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap and ransom off Lundegaard’s wife. The scheme is ridiculous and an act of desperation for a man seemingly on his last legs. We’re never told why he feels he must ransom off his wife for a measly $80,000. Perhaps it’s gambling debts, or perhaps it’s to re-maculate himself after years of ridicule by his in laws.
Regardless of his reasons, Jerry’s plan soon falls apart. The plot to collect the ransom is interrupted by Jerry’s bigheaded father in law, who gets shot and killed during the exchange. Soon after, Jerry’s wife, falls victim as well.
Meanwhile, on Jerry’s trail is the unassuming pregnant policewoman, Marge, played by Frances McDormand (who also won an Oscar). Marge has small town politeness, but the instinct and intuition of a hard boiled cop. She soon connects the dots which leads her to Jerry’s workplace. Marge innocently questions Jerry about a stolen car from his lot, and a few minutes later Jerry crumbles from the tension implicating himself as a suspect. The film ends with a legendary climax, involving the now-famous wood-chipper scene.
The Coens will likely not make a better film than “Fargo” because it uses all the tools, techniques and stylizations that make them “the Coen Bros” but in its most audience-accessible form. To compare it to, say, “O Brother Where Art Thou”, “Big Lebowski” or “Miller’s Crossing” they all have an anachronistic self-reverential feel (namely the Preston Sturges influence), but “Fargo” is their most honest and personal film. And Marge is also their most honest hero/heroine. Violence and crime is sloppy and criminals, for the most part, aren’t smart. So the characters feel like real people and that they could actually exist, however ridiculous their actions might be.
Technically, the Coens left their flashiness at the door and concentrated on story over style. The signature Carter Burwell sound is present though. A master of mood and atmosphere, Burwell’s melancholy score evokes sorrow, depression and bitter sadness. Sadness is key because for such a peaceful place, the events that transpired couldn’t have happened to nicer people. Marge’s final speech gives us the lesson with such simple and honest words:
“There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it.”
Enjoy.
Buy it here: Fargo (Special Edition)
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