Director Study: Coen Brother's

One of the things I miss most about school is all of the films I was able to watch as "research" for papers and projects. Now that I am out of school I still watch plenty of movies but I have to create my own projects. When I heard that the Joel and Ethan Coen Brothers would be releasing their 15th film True Grit at the end of the year I challenged myself to watch all the previous fourteen Coen films. Of the 14 I had previously seen 9 but decided to watch all of them in order to prepare me for True Grit. I am happy (or perhaps embarrassed) to report that I was successful in seeing all of them and caught a screening of True Grit on New Years Eve, making 2010 the Year of the Coen. 

Last month there was an article in the Washington Post written by film critic Ann Hornaday where she ranked her favorite Coen films. Her article started a huge storm of comments from people claiming that they thought certain movies should have been ranked higher or lower. 

Since I grade every movie I watch throughout the year I decided to share my order and brief opinion of each Coen Brother film. If anyone wants a more in depth diatribe (who would?) on these films let me know, I'd be happy to fully opine. I understand that their taste is not for everyone but for me their pictures are about as good as it gets.

# 1 Fargo (1996): A

The Coen's "homespun murder story", Fargo, is absolutely my favorite of their 15 films. The opening credits, complete with Carter Burwell's score, create such a wintry atmosphere that you feel like you are stuck in the story. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the film is the way the Coen's played with convention by claiming that the story was based on actual events that occurred in 1987. When in fact the story is fictional. The Coens said that if the audience believes something to be based on "true events" they are more willing to "go with it" and believe things they wouldn't other wise accept.

After I watched the film with Mandy, she told me she liked it... that is until I told her that it wasn't a true story.  She proceeded to stomp around the house yelling about how mean it was for the directors to mislead the audience. I tried to explain to her that just because Star Wars starts off with:

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

It doesn't mean that story actually happened in a galaxy far, far away. The Coen's got exactly what they wanted from Mandy. She invested so many feelings into the story because she thought it was true, feelings she may have not had otherwise.

#2 No Country for Old Men (2007): A

No Country for Old Men is one of the rare exceptions when the movie is better than the book it is based on. However, if it weren’t for the genius of Cormac McCarthy and his great novel the Coens wouldn’t have made one of the best films of the last decade. The novel and the film complement each other very well but the few scenes added for the film take the story to a new level. Perhaps the best scene in the movie isn’t found in the novel. I’m talking about Llewelyn’s terrifying chase through the desert running from the foaming dog. The scene was shot to feel like it was happening in real time, which created a sense of danger and suspense that wouldn’t have been conveyed as well in written word.

#3 Raising Arizona (1987): B+

The Coen’s first comedy nails down their comedic voice so clearly that it is hard to remember this is only their second film. The movie is highly rewatchable and reminds us just how funny Nicolas Cage used to be, now he is funny but not intentionally (Drive Angry 3D anyone?). Although the performances are top notch, it’s the dialogue that keeps me coming back. The Coen’s said they wrote the film from the perspective of a person whose vernacular comes only from reading The Holy Bible and People magazine. In the closing scene of the movie Cage’s H.I. is dreaming of time and place where he and his wife could have a child, be surrounded by family and loved ones, he doesn’t know where it is but thinks:

“Maybe it’s Utah.”

#4 Miller's Crossing (1990): A-

I don’t know why it took me until 2010 to watch this gem. This maybe one of the most underrated gangster films of the genre. The story comes from a Dashiell Hammett crime novel The Glass Key. I came to admire Hammett in college and my familiarity with his work helped me appreciate the film more. It contains some iconic Coen Brother’s moments particularly the scene of Gabriel Byrne walking John Turturro out in the woods to die. Also, you will never hear the song "Danny Boy" the same again.

#5 The Big Lebowski (1998): A-

I have seen this movie so many times that it is hard to give it a fair critique. When you can quote just about every line it is hard to think about it objectively. Loosely based on another noir classic this time Raymond Chandler’s, The Big Sleep. The Dude, Donny and Walter are three of my favorite Coen creations and are addictively quotable. Although I’m finding it hard to think of a PG rated quote for our blog.

“You’re out of your element!”

#6 Blood Simple (1984): B+

What an amazing feat for a first film. I can’t think of another debut film as fully realized as the Coen’s Blood Simple. This film instantly has their style, their tone, their quirk, their voice and their knack for iconic scenes. If you were to watch a scene from this movie I’m pretty sure you would recognize it as a Coen film based in the imagery alone.

Discovering Blood Simple is one of the reasons I am happy to have done a director’s study of the Coen Brothers. I can’t wait to watch it again.

#7 True Grit (2010): B+

I feel that True Grit is the Coen Brother’s most accessible movie. I would feel comfortable recommending this film to just about anyone. True Grit is the closest the brothers have come to a blockbuster type movie and good for them because it made some money and will allow them to continue to work. If you haven’t seen it look forward to Mattie Ross; their best female character since Marge Gunderson.

#8 The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): B+

A harmless screwball 'rags to riches' comedy about a man who has a great idea: Hula Hoops. (You know, for kids.)

#9 O Brother, Where Are Thou? (2000): B

This sepia toned retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey is pure fun. Up until True Grit it was their highest grossing movie. The music is infectious and Clooney’s portrayal of a Dapper Dan Man showed he had the comedy chops to pull of this charming role.

#10 Burn After Reading (2008): B-

This film has its tonal challenges because on one hand it can be madcap and on the other it's pretty gritty. I had a hard time deciphering the two, making the film less fun to watch. Although Brad Pitt kills it as the air head physical trainer who gets in over his head.

#11 A Serious Man (2009): B

This the most personal of the Coen Brother's films and that is probably why I had a hard time relating to it. I was able to pick up on the Job metaphor (how could you not) but I was completely lost when the story veered into Jewish folklore. They wanted to open the film with a Yiddish tale that foreshadowed the story but when they couldn't think of one that parallelled well enough, in true Coen fashion, they made one up. I plan on revisiting this film at some point.

#12 The Man Who Wasn't There (2001): C+

Their only movie so far to be filmed in black and white, about a simple plan gone wrong. It is suitable enough but unfortunately not that memorable.

#13 Barton Fink (1991): B-

This is one of the Coen’s most celebrated films, but it just doesn’t do it for me. It probably doesn’t help that the story mirrors the life and work of Roman Polanski, who I know very little about, and therefore I feel like I am left out of all the inside baseball. Turturro is great and Goodman is creepy but two times is enough for me when it comes to watching this film.

# 14 The Lady Killers (2004): C+

The Lady Killers is a remake of the 1955 comedy of the same name about a rag tag group of criminals trying to knock over a casino and the church lady who stands in their way. This foul mouthed movie is completely forgettable (by Coen standards) with the exception of J.K. Simmons and Irma P. Hall. The rest of the characters come across as people doing impressions of Coen characters. For me this is a misfire, I saw it when it came out and revisited it last year but it still did nothing for me.

#15 Intolerable Movie Cruelty (2003): C+

This is what the Coen's look like with a big budget and the result is... meh. I have no idea where all the money went (60 million dollars) because there's really not much to this movie. The budget for this film is more than any of their other films. Clearly the Coen's don't need millions of dollars to make great movies.

It was great filling in the gaps of my Coen history and watching a director(s) work progress throughout the years. I am excited to do it all over again this year so 2011 will be the Year of ... Noah Baumbach (exciting I know). He is most recently known for directing Greenberg.