Joel-Coen Movie Reviews

I saw both of these episodes on televison, on different days, and I enjoyed them both very much. I was very lucky to find both of them on the same video tape. Another good episode id the Film Noir (also available at amazon.com). If you are interested in film or trying to better understand a specific genre, BUY THESES VIDEOS!

Most people will let the titles "GOODFELLAS", "THE GODFATHER (I & II)", "ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA" and "THE UNTOUCHABLES" roll off their tongues when asked what their favorite movie is in the "mob" genre. Although seldom mentioned, "MILLER'S CROSSING" must take its rightful place alongside the above as one of the definitive treatments of gangster dynamics in American Cinema. I like to call it "The Thinking Man's Mob Movie" because it's a film that requires one to really focus on the action and dialog and not merely sit back in a lounger without attention span and wait for kill. These characters are multi-faceted, the plot is complex and the payoff for the viewer is delivered through outstanding cinematography (perhaps the Coen's best!) and skillful pacing. Coupling their usual stable of actors (Turturro, Buscemi, Polito) with veteran thespo Albert Finney, the exquisitely laconic Gabriel Byrne, and femme-semi-fatale Marcia Gay Harden, the Coen Brothers have assembled a truly great ensemble cast that transcends the brutality and authenticity of the era. Sure, there's great kill! In the good gangster pictures, violence is actually a character unto itself, always lurking in the background until called upon to make a point. In "MILLER'S CROSSING", the Coen Brothers seem to downplay the actual mechanical violence by isolating the factors and sequences that are responsible for it. Betrayal and revenge are important themes in this film. The crisp writing makes the conversation between characters appear effortless and uncontrived. There's a certain casuality in the dialog that belies the Coen's alarmingly accurate renderings of gangland execution. Finally, the enjoyment one derives from viewing "MILLER'S CROSSING" is not related to how much he/she understands the action or knows about the mob lifestyle, but to the appreciation of the filmmaker's art in communicating the brutality and fraternity of these individuals with astonishing beauty and precision.

Yes, FARGO won lots of awards, and sure, RAISING ARIZONA isuproariously funny, but make no mistake: MILLER'S CROSSING is thequintessential Coen brothers film. In point of fact, it's flawless, a jewel you can turn over and around in your hands again and again, seeing a new facet every time, each one striking and smooth and perfect.

The script is awash with Prohibition-era jargon both historically grounded and whimsically invented, a symphony of phrases and exchanges that linger and echo long after being heard. (It isn't unusual after a viewing to walk around asking friends, "What's the rumpus?", or to complain about being given "the high hat" upon being snubbed.)

The performances, as well, are individually and collectively irresistable. I defy you, in fact, to find a single film in which _any_ of the major players has ever been better. There's not a false or miscast note in the whole of the dramatis personae. There's Gabriel Byrne as the inscrutable, Machiavellian Tom Reagan, a trusted advisor to the city's Irish mob lord who falls out of favor and "defects" to the Italian camp to save his own skin...or does he? Albert Finney plays Leo, the aforementioned Irish power broker whose fists of iron, vicious survival instinct, and all-too-vulnerable heart congeal into a simply remarkable, unforgettable character. John Turturro is equal parts pathetic outcast and conniving opportunist as Bernie Birnbaum, the unscrupulous, vampirically pale bookmaker whose shady maneuvers set the whole plot into motion. Marcia Gay Harden exudes fierce intelligence and buckets of carefully-aimed sex appeal as Bernie's sister Verna, whose unflagging drive to protect her brother -- even from himself -- almost excuse her twisted machinations. J.E. Freeman drips evil and impending violence all over the screen as smarter-than-you-want-him-to-be enforcer Eddie Dane. Jon Polito, as hot-tempered Italian ringleader Johnny Caspar, may be the only character at hand to actually feel sorry for, as his oddly consistent ethical code makes it a sure bet he doesn't stand a chance in his environment.

There's more to say about the acting, of course, but I'll stop there rather than pour accolades onto the entire cast. And when I say "entire," I'm not exaggerating: every person who comes into frame, from the leads to the smaller parts to the people with one line or none at all, fit together and play off of each other as though they'd been born to do nothing else in their entire lives. The whole of it actually makes it difficult not to notice acting and casting problems in other films.

I'm running out of room here, so I can only nod to some of the other perfect elements of production. Barry Sonnenfeld's dead-on photography is measured and seamless where appropriate, frenetic where necessary. Set design and costuming make for such an astonishing illusion that were this not a color film, you might actually forget that it was released 9, not 69 years ago. And even the sound -- from the music (diegetic and otherwise) to the crystal-clear sound effects that pierce the visual and draw you in by the ears, like they're supposed to -- is a _presence_ in its own right throughout the film. I mean, when was the last time ice cubes dropping into an old-fashioned glass or the wringing out of an alcohol-soaked rag into a tinny dish felt truly woven into the designed effect of a scene in a movie?

What continues to amaze me about MILLER'S CROSSING is that no matter how many times I see it, regardless of how hard I look, I _can't find anything wrong with it_. That's an extremely rare situation in my experience. It's what we all want out of a movie, and almost never get. MILLER'S CROSSING delivers exactly that feeling, and when Tom Reagan leans against that tree and adjusts that hat in the haunting final shot, he knows it just as surely as we do. He doesn't seem to feel especially happy about it, but that's okay. _You_ will.

Fargo, schmargo. This is the Coen brothers' movie that should've won an Oscar. It has everything that makes a movie a classic: a script so twisted and tight that it makes a pretzel look like a donut; pinpoint acting and editing; dark humor; and the classic Coen brothers look.

Byrne and Finney, as Tommy and Leo, have an acting chemistry that I haven't seen in years. But even the other characters have ties and/or hatreds that are so believeable that they're almost unbelieveable: Caspar and the Dane, the Dane vs. Tommy, Bernie vs. Tommy, etc. In fact, at times, it's the entire world vs. Tommy. (How many times does he get beaten anyway? I lost count.) And, of course, there's Verna who has just about everyone wrapped around her cigarette stained fingers. What a character.

My favorite scene? The amazing shoot-out to the tune of "Danny Boy". It's a waltz with bullets. To me, this is where the Coen brothers hit their peak.

Most people will let the titles "GOODFELLAS", "THE GODFATHER (I & II)", "ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA" and "THE UNTOUCHABLES" roll off their tongues when asked what their favorite movie is in the "mob" genre. Although seldom mentioned, "MILLER'S CROSSING" must take its rightful place alongside the above as one of the definitive treatments of gangster dynamics in American Cinema. I like to call it "The Thinking Man's Mob Movie" because it's a film that requires one to really focus on the action and dialog and not merely sit back in a lounger without attention span and wait for kill. These characters are multi-faceted, the plot is complex and the payoff for the viewer is delivered through outstanding cinematography (perhaps the Coen's best!) and skillful pacing. Coupling their usual stable of actors (Turturro, Buscemi, Polito) with veteran thespo Albert Finney, the exquisitely laconic Gabriel Byrne, and femme-semi-fatale Marcia Gay Harden, the Coen Brothers have assembled a truly great ensemble cast that transcends the brutality and authenticity of the era. Sure, there's great kill! In the good gangster pictures, violence is actually a character unto itself, always lurking in the background until called upon to make a point. In "MILLER'S CROSSING", the Coen Brothers seem to downplay the actual mechanical violence by isolating the factors and sequences that are responsible for it. Betrayal and revenge are important themes in this film. The crisp writing makes the conversation between characters appear effortless and uncontrived. There's a certain casuality in the dialog that belies the Coen's alarmingly accurate renderings of gangland execution. Finally, the enjoyment one derives from viewing "MILLER'S CROSSING" is not related to how much he/she understands the action or knows about the mob lifestyle, but to the appreciation of the filmmaker's art in communicating the brutality and fraternity of these individuals with astonishing beauty and precision.

Yes, FARGO won lots of awards, and sure, RAISING ARIZONA isuproariously funny, but make no mistake: MILLER'S CROSSING is thequintessential Coen brothers film. In point of fact, it's flawless, a jewel you can turn over and around in your hands again and again, seeing a new facet every time, each one striking and smooth and perfect.

The script is awash with Prohibition-era jargon both historically grounded and whimsically invented, a symphony of phrases and exchanges that linger and echo long after being heard. (It isn't unusual after a viewing to walk around asking friends, "What's the rumpus?", or to complain about being given "the high hat" upon being snubbed.)

The performances, as well, are individually and collectively irresistable. I defy you, in fact, to find a single film in which _any_ of the major players has ever been better. There's not a false or miscast note in the whole of the dramatis personae. There's Gabriel Byrne as the inscrutable, Machiavellian Tom Reagan, a trusted advisor to the city's Irish mob lord who falls out of favor and "defects" to the Italian camp to save his own skin...or does he? Albert Finney plays Leo, the aforementioned Irish power broker whose fists of iron, vicious survival instinct, and all-too-vulnerable heart congeal into a simply remarkable, unforgettable character. John Turturro is equal parts pathetic outcast and conniving opportunist as Bernie Birnbaum, the unscrupulous, vampirically pale bookmaker whose shady maneuvers set the whole plot into motion. Marcia Gay Harden exudes fierce intelligence and buckets of carefully-aimed sex appeal as Bernie's sister Verna, whose unflagging drive to protect her brother -- even from himself -- almost excuse her twisted machinations. J.E. Freeman drips evil and impending violence all over the screen as smarter-than-you-want-him-to-be enforcer Eddie Dane. Jon Polito, as hot-tempered Italian ringleader Johnny Caspar, may be the only character at hand to actually feel sorry for, as his oddly consistent ethical code makes it a sure bet he doesn't stand a chance in his environment.

There's more to say about the acting, of course, but I'll stop there rather than pour accolades onto the entire cast. And when I say "entire," I'm not exaggerating: every person who comes into frame, from the leads to the smaller parts to the people with one line or none at all, fit together and play off of each other as though they'd been born to do nothing else in their entire lives. The whole of it actually makes it difficult not to notice acting and casting problems in other films.

I'm running out of room here, so I can only nod to some of the other perfect elements of production. Barry Sonnenfeld's dead-on photography is measured and seamless where appropriate, frenetic where necessary. Set design and costuming make for such an astonishing illusion that were this not a color film, you might actually forget that it was released 9, not 69 years ago. And even the sound -- from the music (diegetic and otherwise) to the crystal-clear sound effects that pierce the visual and draw you in by the ears, like they're supposed to -- is a _presence_ in its own right throughout the film. I mean, when was the last time ice cubes dropping into an old-fashioned glass or the wringing out of an alcohol-soaked rag into a tinny dish felt truly woven into the designed effect of a scene in a movie?

What continues to amaze me about MILLER'S CROSSING is that no matter how many times I see it, regardless of how hard I look, I _can't find anything wrong with it_. That's an extremely rare situation in my experience. It's what we all want out of a movie, and almost never get. MILLER'S CROSSING delivers exactly that feeling, and when Tom Reagan leans against that tree and adjusts that hat in the haunting final shot, he knows it just as surely as we do. He doesn't seem to feel especially happy about it, but that's okay. _You_ will.

Fargo, schmargo. This is the Coen brothers' movie that should've won an Oscar. It has everything that makes a movie a classic: a script so twisted and tight that it makes a pretzel look like a donut; pinpoint acting and editing; dark humor; and the classic Coen brothers look.

Byrne and Finney, as Tommy and Leo, have an acting chemistry that I haven't seen in years. But even the other characters have ties and/or hatreds that are so believeable that they're almost unbelieveable: Caspar and the Dane, the Dane vs. Tommy, Bernie vs. Tommy, etc. In fact, at times, it's the entire world vs. Tommy. (How many times does he get beaten anyway? I lost count.) And, of course, there's Verna who has just about everyone wrapped around her cigarette stained fingers. What a character.

My favorite scene? The amazing shoot-out to the tune of "Danny Boy". It's a waltz with bullets. To me, this is where the Coen brothers hit their peak.

Joel and Ethan Coen bring a wonderful comedy into the world with Raising Arizona, probably their funniest film (Fargo is funny, but in a different sense). I loved the dialogue, the insanely mad situations, and the hilarious music. You'll probably be saying, "What the?!?" about a dozen times while watching this movie, and that's what makes this movie wonderful. The whole movie's crazy! My personal favorite scene is Glen's visit to Hi's trailer home. That scene(s) is so overflowing with hilarious dialogue you'll have to rewind the tape to catch it all. The Coens really tried to cram in as many jokes as they could in this movie, and the result is a grand comedy. It looks grainy sometimes, but that's just its style.

Also contains a not-often talked about reference to Night of the Hunter, when Hi says, "Sometimes it's a hard world for little things." Did anybody else catch that? Look for the words "POE" and "OPE" in the bathroom, too. That's a tribute to Dr. Strangelove.

The first five minutes are as funny and economical as any on record. The main characters reveal themselves hilariously, while Nicholas Cage's voice-over regales as classic understatement. The dialogue remains offbeat and original,with only occasional lapses. Cage and Hunter often sound as if they've watched too much Oprah, rambling on about the family "unit", or his description of her infertility as "insides too barren for my seed to get a purchase". With this film the Coen Bros. prove they can do comedy as expertly as melodrama, as does Cage, whose mix-master hairdo and bewildered expression reflect the social rules he just can't seem to get right. Only businessman Nathan Arizona remains a sane sensible voice throughout, a departure for the usually anti-business world of film. Almost stealing the show is William Forsythe as Evelle the quarter-wit brother of half-wit John Goodman. His gap-toothed grin and eternal high spirits amidst a starkly blank expression remind me of a demented Cheshire cat. The movie as a whole amounts to a light-hearted jape at family obsessed America, where by Hunter's logic some peoples has too many kids while others ain't got enough, so it's okay to take from them that has too many. Sort of like socialist logic applied to child distribution. On a more ominous note is a Keystone Cops indictment of gun-toting America, where too many civilians and cops alike come armed and ready to shoot, except Cage who reveals a benign inner nature by refusing to load. Only the epilogue and Randy Cobb disappoint. Cobb certainly looks the part of cartoon evil, but can't project the menace to go with it. With these dim but lovable characters, it's obvious the Bros. were at sea in figuring out how to end. It's as though they're suddenly embarassed with the liberties taken with the institution of family, so only a Norman Rockwell level of smarmy apology can compensate. Too bad, because the compensation is already there in the characters of H.I. and Ed (Cage & Hunter). Nonetheless, the movie remains fresh and rollicking, thrusting the Coens to the forefront of independent filmmakers, and presenting the audience with a good number of belly laughs along the way.

The Coen Brothers followed their successful film debut of BLOOD SIMPLE with one of the most original and strange comedies ever to be made in America. From the very first shots, as career petty criminal H.I. McDonnough (Nicholas Cage) meets and woos police photographer Ed (Holly Hunter) with each arrest, the film announces that it is not going to dwell much in the world of realism. In fact, the whole film seems to dwell in its own alternative universe with its own logic. Everything works together to confirm this, from the strange camera angles, the deadpan expressions on the faces of many of the performers, the tongue-in-cheek delivery in every scene, the inventive outrageousness of every segment. There are hundreds of brilliant moments, from Leonard Smalls's tattoo ("Mother Didn't Love Me") to the convenience store clerk who interrupts his counting ("One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi . . .") only to see the bandits returning in their car to Nicholas Cage leaning out of the car to snag a package of Huggies to the strange, weird yodeling that reprises throughout the film.

The film perfectly blends the near perfect script that the Brothers created, with perfect direction, and a bevy of amazingly effective performances. Cage, Hunter, John Goodman, Trey Wilson (who died only a year or two later after this film came out), William Forsythe, Tex Cobb, and a host of supporting performers manage to generate one great scene after another. I have probably seen this film 8 or 9 times over the years, and every time I see it, it strikes me just as fun and as fresh as before.

Every fan of the Coen Brothers is going to have a different set of favorites, but this is probably my second favorite of all their films, following only THE BIG LEBOWSKI. What amazes me after repeated viewings is how the Coens managed to take a large number of elements that could very easily not have meshed, and make something magnificent out of it.

A millionaire's young wife is supposedly kidnapped. And it just so happens that the millionaire shares the same name with The Dude. Two thug's break into The Dude's house and ruin his favorite carpet... what can you say? They had the wrong Lebowski. So the dude tries to get his carpet replaced (because it really tied the room together, afterall) and embarks on a wild journey with his paranoid best friend, euro-trash anarchists, an erotic artist, and an eccentric Latino bowler.

The story itself is pretty arbitrary... it's the oddball cast of characters that really makes the movie so chraming. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Steve Buscemi. The characters are quirky and very loveable. The dialogue is witty but not for the faint of heart. And the DVD comes in both standard and widescreen formats. This is among one of my favorite movies.

I can't quite figure out why this film didn't do very well at the box office, except that it might be a little too odd and meandering for most people. I, on the other hand, thought Jeff Bridges delivered an Oscar worthy performance as "The Dude" (aka Jeff Lebowski), a hapless stoner/bowler who reluctantly ends up a part of a kidnapping scheme. John Goodman is also wonderful (as usual) as his slightly off kilter veteran fellow bowler and Steve Buscemi has a small but memorable role as well. I agree that this movie is more about atmosphere than plot, but I think it works beautifully and I was solidly entertained and amused then entire time. It's certainly not your average comedy, or even a straight-out comedy, but it's a lot of fun to peek in on these strange lives intertwining and to watch the story unfold through the eyes of "The Dude". I can say with certainty you will never see anything quite like this and I for one am impressed with the unique and strange worlds we are exposed to in each Coen brothers project. I highly recommend this film!

The Coen brothers followed their kidnapping blunder movie in Minnesota (Fargo) with this kidnapping blunder movie set in Los Angeles. (Add Raising Arizona and you have a trilogy.) They threw together a dozen different ideas, loosely strung into a needlessly complex plot. The main characters were inspired by real people. Their friend Jeff, who helped promote some of their previous films, was used as the model for Jeff Lebowski. (Like the real Jeff, he called himself The Dude.) Walter is based on John Milius, the screenwriter and director of Conan the Barbarian. Then they threw in nihilists, avant-garde art, a funny Busby Berkley-inspired dream sequence, a TV show writer in an iron lung, Saddam Hussein, a ferret in a bathtub, and lots of bowling. Just when you thought you'd seen enough unconnected characters and scenes, another one comes along. By the end, you aren't sure what happened, but you laughed a lot.

What does it all mean? Nothing, really. But the plot isn't the point. This is a "hang out" movie --- you watch so you can vicariously hang out with the Dude and Walter. The Coen brothers succeeded in making a movie as loose as its main character. The Dude doesn't care about the meaning of it all, so why should the Coens? Just keep it funny, strange, and fast. That's good enough for five stars. The extras on this DVD are okay. There's a brief documentary about making the film, including interviews with all the key actors and the directors.

A millionaire's young wife is supposedly kidnapped. And it just so happens that the millionaire shares the same name with The Dude. Two thug's break into The Dude's house and ruin his favorite carpet... what can you say? They had the wrong Lebowski. So the dude tries to get his carpet replaced (because it really tied the room together, afterall) and embarks on a wild journey with his paranoid best friend, euro-trash anarchists, an erotic artist, and an eccentric Latino bowler.

The story itself is pretty arbitrary... it's the oddball cast of characters that really makes the movie so chraming. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Steve Buscemi. The characters are quirky and very loveable. The dialogue is witty but not for the faint of heart. And the DVD comes in both standard and widescreen formats. This is among one of my favorite movies.

I can't quite figure out why this film didn't do very well at the box office, except that it might be a little too odd and meandering for most people. I, on the other hand, thought Jeff Bridges delivered an Oscar worthy performance as "The Dude" (aka Jeff Lebowski), a hapless stoner/bowler who reluctantly ends up a part of a kidnapping scheme. John Goodman is also wonderful (as usual) as his slightly off kilter veteran fellow bowler and Steve Buscemi has a small but memorable role as well. I agree that this movie is more about atmosphere than plot, but I think it works beautifully and I was solidly entertained and amused then entire time. It's certainly not your average comedy, or even a straight-out comedy, but it's a lot of fun to peek in on these strange lives intertwining and to watch the story unfold through the eyes of "The Dude". I can say with certainty you will never see anything quite like this and I for one am impressed with the unique and strange worlds we are exposed to in each Coen brothers project. I highly recommend this film!

The Coen brothers followed their kidnapping blunder movie in Minnesota (Fargo) with this kidnapping blunder movie set in Los Angeles. (Add Raising Arizona and you have a trilogy.) They threw together a dozen different ideas, loosely strung into a needlessly complex plot. The main characters were inspired by real people. Their friend Jeff, who helped promote some of their previous films, was used as the model for Jeff Lebowski. (Like the real Jeff, he called himself The Dude.) Walter is based on John Milius, the screenwriter and director of Conan the Barbarian. Then they threw in nihilists, avant-garde art, a funny Busby Berkley-inspired dream sequence, a TV show writer in an iron lung, Saddam Hussein, a ferret in a bathtub, and lots of bowling. Just when you thought you'd seen enough unconnected characters and scenes, another one comes along. By the end, you aren't sure what happened, but you laughed a lot.

What does it all mean? Nothing, really. But the plot isn't the point. This is a "hang out" movie --- you watch so you can vicariously hang out with the Dude and Walter. The Coen brothers succeeded in making a movie as loose as its main character. The Dude doesn't care about the meaning of it all, so why should the Coens? Just keep it funny, strange, and fast. That's good enough for five stars. The extras on this DVD are okay. There's a brief documentary about making the film, including interviews with all the key actors and the directors.

A millionaire's young wife is supposedly kidnapped. And it just so happens that the millionaire shares the same name with The Dude. Two thug's break into The Dude's house and ruin his favorite carpet... what can you say? They had the wrong Lebowski. So the dude tries to get his carpet replaced (because it really tied the room together, afterall) and embarks on a wild journey with his paranoid best friend, euro-trash anarchists, an erotic artist, and an eccentric Latino bowler.

The story itself is pretty arbitrary... it's the oddball cast of characters that really makes the movie so chraming. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Steve Buscemi. The characters are quirky and very loveable. The dialogue is witty but not for the faint of heart. And the DVD comes in both standard and widescreen formats. This is among one of my favorite movies.

I can't quite figure out why this film didn't do very well at the box office, except that it might be a little too odd and meandering for most people. I, on the other hand, thought Jeff Bridges delivered an Oscar worthy performance as "The Dude" (aka Jeff Lebowski), a hapless stoner/bowler who reluctantly ends up a part of a kidnapping scheme. John Goodman is also wonderful (as usual) as his slightly off kilter veteran fellow bowler and Steve Buscemi has a small but memorable role as well. I agree that this movie is more about atmosphere than plot, but I think it works beautifully and I was solidly entertained and amused then entire time. It's certainly not your average comedy, or even a straight-out comedy, but it's a lot of fun to peek in on these strange lives intertwining and to watch the story unfold through the eyes of "The Dude". I can say with certainty you will never see anything quite like this and I for one am impressed with the unique and strange worlds we are exposed to in each Coen brothers project. I highly recommend this film!

The Coen brothers followed their kidnapping blunder movie in Minnesota (Fargo) with this kidnapping blunder movie set in Los Angeles. (Add Raising Arizona and you have a trilogy.) They threw together a dozen different ideas, loosely strung into a needlessly complex plot. The main characters were inspired by real people. Their friend Jeff, who helped promote some of their previous films, was used as the model for Jeff Lebowski. (Like the real Jeff, he called himself The Dude.) Walter is based on John Milius, the screenwriter and director of Conan the Barbarian. Then they threw in nihilists, avant-garde art, a funny Busby Berkley-inspired dream sequence, a TV show writer in an iron lung, Saddam Hussein, a ferret in a bathtub, and lots of bowling. Just when you thought you'd seen enough unconnected characters and scenes, another one comes along. By the end, you aren't sure what happened, but you laughed a lot.

What does it all mean? Nothing, really. But the plot isn't the point. This is a "hang out" movie --- you watch so you can vicariously hang out with the Dude and Walter. The Coen brothers succeeded in making a movie as loose as its main character. The Dude doesn't care about the meaning of it all, so why should the Coens? Just keep it funny, strange, and fast. That's good enough for five stars. The extras on this DVD are okay. There's a brief documentary about making the film, including interviews with all the key actors and the directors.

You don't necessarily need to enjoy bluegrass, but it sure don't hurt because some of the finest bluegrass in the world is probably heard in this video. Norman Blake does a terrific rendition of "You Are My Sunshine," and you'll find a real "old timey" sound coming from The Whites, The Cox Family, Allison Krauss, and other Newgrass artists. The movie is charming, gutsy, and hugely entertaining. George Clooney-- who happens to look remarkably like Clark Gable in this movie-- shows his talent for the comedic in his role as Ulysses Everett McGill, the smooth talker in the trio of escapees fleeing a chain gang in 1920s Mississippi. Adventures, escapades, and political predicaments follow hot on their recently-freed heels, and all of it is accompanied with unforgettable music. Buy the soundtrack if, for nothing else, the "Soggy Bottom Boys'" rendition of 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' O Brother is a treasure.

The Coen brothers serve up a beautifully filmed and nearly perfectly executed movie with many scenes and songs that linger in ones head. It shows both the dark and light of the South in the depression, and reminds us of the power of the music that tried to help everyone get through the rough times. The warmer sounds of songs like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "I'll Fly Away" are yearnings for that better place far away. The premier song, "Man of constant sorrow", is a great blues\bluegrass piece, with both performances by Clooney and Cohorts being enjoyably funny. But perhaps the most impressive song and visual in this film is the baptism scene, when our heroes are suddenly surrounded by white clad Christians floating through the beautiful Southern woods like fireflies all singing a building gospel hymn "Down to the river" - a very mesmerizing moment.

The performances are great. Clooney has an energetic wild eyed zeal and pulls of some great rapid dialog as Ulysses. Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro do well as the slow witted traveling companions. Daniel von Bargen (probably known best currently for his role as the Commandant at the military school on "Malcom in the Middle") fits the old image of the sherrif perfectly with his cool mannerisms, black outfit, sunglasses (the only person wearing them) and black hat.

While generally funny, the film also has reminders of the effects of the depression on already poor farmers. It also doesn't forget racial issues in the form of the KKK and how many of its members could make themselves out to be "normal decent folk" during the day when they weren't hiding in bedsheets carrying silly names. Some people take offense at the KKK scene in the movie, but I thought it pointed out the silliness of these people dressing in these costumes and thinking they were superior while also showing that enough stupidity gathered together can do some pretty terrible things. It can be an uncomfortable scene, but it does contribute to the story (and shows, through our heroes, that not *every* white person in the south was a bigot).

Ultimately, this movie was an enjoyable experience for me. I could even call it uplifting, as it's beautiful photography and soundtrack have caused me to start liking the South again and appeciate more of the Gospel and Bluegrass from the time. I love listening to "I'll Fly Away" from the soundtrack and picturing soaring up over the dusty roads and fields through gold tinted lenses.

Best movie ever, in my opinion. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. I'm no fan of George Clooney, but in this movie he was awesome! And don't be fooled by the title- I thought it was a Shakespearean movie, but it's actually set in the Deep South in the 1920s or so.

The Coen brothers' screenplay is genius, flawlessly combining elements of Homer's Odyssey and the history of the Deep South (I especially liked "servant of the little man" and "who made the color guard colored?"). The three main characters- Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Turturro- are all very good and extremely different. The movie is full of hilarity from beginning to end, straddling the line between fantasy and reality without ever becoming ludicrous. Half the fun consists of how gross all the characters look/act (but in a funny way), as well as the strange pronunciations (you might want to turn on subtitles in order to understand some of the dialogue). The other half lies in the absolutely brilliant screenplay, filled with unexpected twists and turns at every juncture.

Today's comedies are so often full of either cheap, lowbrow gags or overly dark humor. This movie has neither, and furthermore contains a number of wonderful historical and mythical references- glued together by stunning performances from all actors involved. I've watched this movie again and again, and it never loses its charm. Some of the later scenes involving Holly Hunter (as the nasty ex-wife) are not particularly funny and, in my opinion, inferior to the rest of the piece. Nevertheless, this picture is the best comedy I have ever seen. See it now if you haven't already!

You don't necessarily need to enjoy bluegrass, but it sure don't hurt because some of the finest bluegrass in the world is probably heard in this video. Norman Blake does a terrific rendition of "You Are My Sunshine," and you'll find a real "old timey" sound coming from The Whites, The Cox Family, Allison Krauss, and other Newgrass artists. The movie is charming, gutsy, and hugely entertaining. George Clooney-- who happens to look remarkably like Clark Gable in this movie-- shows his talent for the comedic in his role as Ulysses Everett McGill, the smooth talker in the trio of escapees fleeing a chain gang in 1920s Mississippi. Adventures, escapades, and political predicaments follow hot on their recently-freed heels, and all of it is accompanied with unforgettable music. Buy the soundtrack if, for nothing else, the "Soggy Bottom Boys'" rendition of 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' O Brother is a treasure.

The Coen brothers serve up a beautifully filmed and nearly perfectly executed movie with many scenes and songs that linger in ones head. It shows both the dark and light of the South in the depression, and reminds us of the power of the music that tried to help everyone get through the rough times. The warmer sounds of songs like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "I'll Fly Away" are yearnings for that better place far away. The premier song, "Man of constant sorrow", is a great blues\bluegrass piece, with both performances by Clooney and Cohorts being enjoyably funny. But perhaps the most impressive song and visual in this film is the baptism scene, when our heroes are suddenly surrounded by white clad Christians floating through the beautiful Southern woods like fireflies all singing a building gospel hymn "Down to the river" - a very mesmerizing moment.

The performances are great. Clooney has an energetic wild eyed zeal and pulls of some great rapid dialog as Ulysses. Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro do well as the slow witted traveling companions. Daniel von Bargen (probably known best currently for his role as the Commandant at the military school on "Malcom in the Middle") fits the old image of the sherrif perfectly with his cool mannerisms, black outfit, sunglasses (the only person wearing them) and black hat.

While generally funny, the film also has reminders of the effects of the depression on already poor farmers. It also doesn't forget racial issues in the form of the KKK and how many of its members could make themselves out to be "normal decent folk" during the day when they weren't hiding in bedsheets carrying silly names. Some people take offense at the KKK scene in the movie, but I thought it pointed out the silliness of these people dressing in these costumes and thinking they were superior while also showing that enough stupidity gathered together can do some pretty terrible things. It can be an uncomfortable scene, but it does contribute to the story (and shows, through our heroes, that not *every* white person in the south was a bigot).

Ultimately, this movie was an enjoyable experience for me. I could even call it uplifting, as it's beautiful photography and soundtrack have caused me to start liking the South again and appeciate more of the Gospel and Bluegrass from the time. I love listening to "I'll Fly Away" from the soundtrack and picturing soaring up over the dusty roads and fields through gold tinted lenses.

Best movie ever, in my opinion. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. I'm no fan of George Clooney, but in this movie he was awesome! And don't be fooled by the title- I thought it was a Shakespearean movie, but it's actually set in the Deep South in the 1920s or so.

The Coen brothers' screenplay is genius, flawlessly combining elements of Homer's Odyssey and the history of the Deep South (I especially liked "servant of the little man" and "who made the color guard colored?"). The three main characters- Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Turturro- are all very good and extremely different. The movie is full of hilarity from beginning to end, straddling the line between fantasy and reality without ever becoming ludicrous. Half the fun consists of how gross all the characters look/act (but in a funny way), as well as the strange pronunciations (you might want to turn on subtitles in order to understand some of the dialogue). The other half lies in the absolutely brilliant screenplay, filled with unexpected twists and turns at every juncture.

Today's comedies are so often full of either cheap, lowbrow gags or overly dark humor. This movie has neither, and furthermore contains a number of wonderful historical and mythical references- glued together by stunning performances from all actors involved. I've watched this movie again and again, and it never loses its charm. Some of the later scenes involving Holly Hunter (as the nasty ex-wife) are not particularly funny and, in my opinion, inferior to the rest of the piece. Nevertheless, this picture is the best comedy I have ever seen. See it now if you haven't already!

Welcome to the wonderfully wacky world of the Coen brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most brilliant filmmakers in America today. Every film they turn out is a cinematic gem, and "Barton Fink" is no exception.

The film centers around a slightly pompous, idealistic, left wing playwright, Barton Fink (John Turturro), who in 1941, after becoming the toast of Broadway as the pretentious voice of the common man, goes west to Hollywood at the invitation of a major studio in order to try his hand at writing screenplays.

There, he meets studio head, Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner), and his yes man and whipping boy, Lou Breeze (Jon Polito). Asked to write a screenplay for a Wallace Beery vehicle about wrestling, a subject about which the bookish Fink knows nothing about, causes Fink to go into a professional tailspin.

Ensconced in a decaying old hotel, seemingly run by its slightly creepy and unctuous bell hop, Chet (Steve Buscemi), who bizarrely appears on the scene out of a trapdoor behind the hotel's front desk, Fink begins his ordeal . The elevator is run by a cadaverous, pock marked, elderly man. The corridors of the hotel seem endless. The wallpaper in Fink's room is peeling away from the wall, leaving a viscous, damp ooze in its wake. His bed creaks and groans with a life of its own. It is also hot, oppressively hot.

No residents of the hotel are apparent, except for the appearance of shoes outside the doors in expectation of the free shoe shine the hotel offers its denizens and for the noise made by his neighbors. Finks meets one of his neighbors, the portly Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), a gregarious Everyman, possessed of an abundance of bonhomie. A self-styled insurance salesman, Charlie cajoles Fink out of his shell, befriending him in the process. Little does Fink know that beneath Charlie's congenial exterior lies a horrific secret that will spillover onto him in the not so distant future.

At a luncheon with studio under boss, Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Fink meets a famous writer that he reveres, W. P. Mayhew (John Mahoney), a southern sot so steeped in drink that his companion/secretary, Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis), has to do his writing for him. Fink falls for Audrey but finds his overtures rebuffed. Still, she is willing to try and help him overcome his profound writer's block. In a classic Coen twist, it is this single act of kindness that acts as the catalyst for the nightmare that makes Fink's life become a living hell on earth. He goes from living a life of self-imposed isolation and angst to one that appears to have been created by a Hollywood hack, filled as it is with the most incredible situations, a real studio head's dream.

John Turturro is terrific as the introverted, tightly wound, pretentious, and neurotic Fink, who in Hollywood, away from the womb of the Great White Way, is like a lamb led to the slaughter. With his sculpted afro, horn rimmed glasses, nerdy clothes, Fink is the stereotypic Hollywood notion of the commie writer. John Turturro makes the role his with a purposeful intensity.

John Goodman is sensational as the garrulous Charlie Meadow, the epitome of the working class man about whom Fink likes to write. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems, as Charlie has a dark side to him, a very dark side. John Mahoney is excellent as the Faulknerian-like writer, and Judy Davis outdoes herself, as the self-sacrificing Audrey Taylor.

Michael Lerner will razzle-dazzle the viewer with his over the top portrayal of a fast talking studio head who is willing to pay big bucks for the cache of having a top Broadway playwright turn out screenplay swill for the masses. Jon Polito is very good as the Uriah Heepish, quintessential yes man he portrays. Tony Shalhoub is excellent in his role, underscoring the absurdity of the old Hollywood studio system.

Steve Buscemi, looking surprisingly small in his bell hop uniform, resembles an organ grinder's monkey, at times. The viewer may also expect him to bellow, "Call for Phillip Morris", as in the old cigarette campaign, though he speaks in a controlled, respectful monotone, at all times. Still, his very presence adds a slightly sinister quality to the film, though he does nothing remotely sinister, other than the way he makes his screen appearance. His entrance onto the screen in this fashion foreshadows what is to come.

This film is not for everyone, as it does not have a neatly wrapped ending. Instead, it goes beyond the standard expected ending into an absurdist foray. Still, those who love films by the Coen Brothers will not be disappointed by this satiric look at Hollywood. It is little wonder that this film became the darling of the Cannes Film Festival.

Coen Brothers? Oh, you mean the guys who made Fargo, right? Yes, the Coen Brothers. Possibly the deepest story-writing, movie-making directors in America.(In the world Bertolucci is for me still No:1)Barton Fink, an early 90's movie of ambition, Hollywood, the devil, hell and penitence. It may seem odd, that I say these of a movie that is of a writer strugglin to make a debut in hollywood with a wrestling script. Yet the Coen Brothers magnificent script, along with their handling of imagery, makes this such an experience that you will be thinking of it for a long time. You will want to watch it again and again, just to confirm some of your ideas, trust me. The superior acting of John Turturro and John Goodman only incerase the experience. Every detail could change the way you think of this movie. Yes, it is incredibly deep, I know I am repeating my words, but trust me. Watch this. It is thanks to this movie that I am a Coen Brothers fan. Do yourself- and the spirtually hollow society surrounding all of us- a favor and discover the true life of the mind.

The Coens, eh? This is one of their best. I feel that over the years since "Blood Simple", the brothers have been leaning towards a far more main stream sensability. "Fargo" is where they were going, but "Barton Fink" is most definately where they've been. It's all peaks and troughs with these guys nowadays. I really didn't care much for "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", and "Intolerable Cruelty" was just below them. When they were still young, excited and exciting, they just couldn't go wrong in my eyes, and this little number has to be one of my favourites from those bygone days.
The whole film is certainly very srange, but not so much as to encumber it's rather magnetic style. It has the same quiet self-possessed quality that all the really great films of the last century have, but it's pervaded by that inimitable, colourful Coen flare. The hotel in which Turturro's character ,Barton Fink, is staying is a big player in itself, with "Citezen Kane" style lighting, wallpaper that peels from the wall because of the intense Hollywood heat, and a wonderfully strange cameo from Steve "Mr. Pink" Buscemi. The outstanding performance for me though lies with John Goodman. Who would have thought that Roseanne's screen husband could have rocketed to such stellar heights of thespian ability from those humble shitcom beginnings? Playing the travelling insurance salesman who turns out to be the devil himself (a common theme in the early Coen ouevre), Goodman utters one of my favourite lines of all time: "Sometimes it gets so hot, I just wanna crawl outta my skin." There's just something fantastically wierd and intriguing about the way he delivers the line, and this and other little nuggets of script writing mastery peppered throughout the film, are able testament to the brothers' ability to get the best from their cast.
This movie panders to no-one. Even the end doesn't 'deliver' in the usual way, but it does look and feel exactly like the end of "La Dolce Vita", which is no small task in itself. One of my favourite Coen films, this is not one for the lazy.