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It’s hard to know where to start, with all the films I love, so I’ll survey those by my favourite directors, starting with those written by the Coen brothers, director Joel and producer Ethan. They made one of my top-ten favourite movies, Raising Arizona, as well as the critically acclaimed one I had to try to watch twice before I finally made it through to the end, Barton Fink. I like directors who work with the same actors on different projects (coming up: Woody Allen), giving them a chance to show new facets. The Coens use interesting, if not always glamorous, people such as John Goodman, John Turturro, and Steve Buscemi, no oil painting. Frances McDormand starred in their first commercial effort, Blood Simple, married Joel, and years later won an Academy award for their 1996 film, Fargo.
Another thing about Coen movies: in each one, there’s always at least one bit of showy camera-work that makes you catch your breath. In the almost low-key The Big Liebowski, it’s telegraphed, so I’m not giving anything away by telling you it’s the Dude’s dream.
The Coen movies to date include the nail-bitingly tense Blood Simple, shot on a budget in Austin, where I lived for six months, and of course, Raising Arizona, a well-nigh perfect film with Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage leading a fantastic cast of characters. It’s also the funniest Coen film. Millers Crossing is a noir-ish gangster film starring Albert Finney and Gabriel Byrne. I don’t much enjoy watching Gabriel Byrne, but the film is quite good, especially if you pay attention at the beginning.
The Hudsucker Proxy, co-written with Sam Raimi, is a screwball comedy starring Tim Robbins and featuring a sinister Paul Newman. Jennifer Jason Leigh is the weakest link in this film with her dogged attempt to sound like Katharine Hepburn. She succeeds, but sometimes at the cost of breaking the mood. The film is terrifically entertaining otherwise.
Barton Fink is a different story: well-acted, technically brilliant, but fatally marred, in my opinion, by the overall atmosphere of growing creepiness and an over-the-top ending that doesn’t match the rest of the film.
Fargo, on the other hand, is a must-see that won Oscars for Frances McDormand and the Coen brothers, as well as awards from Britain, Australia, the Cannes festival, and all around the world. The film is supposedly based on a true incident, and as you watch the film, you begin to feel you’re watching real people going about their lives. Every emotion is evoked: horror, pity, glee, disgust, sympathy, and of course, amusement. The scene in which Frances McDormand has drinks with an old friend from out of town is amazing.
The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, and Julianne Moore, is foul-mouthed and hilarious. The Dude is an unforgettable character, the kind of person who doesn’t do anything but keeps getting involved in everything, and of course everything goes wrong.
My MO is to watch films on video instead of going to the cinema, so in the next month or so, I’ll be able to see O Brother, Where Art Thou?, so I had to wait until it had already been nominated for several awards (but who cares what the critics think?). Sure enough, it was quite enjoyable. George Clooney can act (even better than he did in the exciting but ultimately forgettable Three Kings. John Goodman is terrifying, again. And the soundtrack is incredible.
You can order these films in VHS PAL format from BlackStar: Blood Simple (and on DVD), Raising Arizona, Millers Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, and Fargo. The Big Lebowski is available on video and DVD, as is O Brother, Where Art Thou?: video; DVD.
If you prefer to order from Amazon.co.uk, just click the following links: Blood Simple (and on DVD), Raising Arizona is on DVD, Millers Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, and Fargo. The Big Lebowski is available on video and DVD, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is on DVD.
You can order these films in NTSC format from Amazon.com by clicking their links: Blood Simple, Raising Arizona (and on DVD), Millers Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy (on DVD), Fargo (on DVD), The Big Lebowski (on DVD), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (on DVD).
Let us know if you are (or have now become) a Coen brothers fan, too.
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