Oh, brother! My Coen Brothers Ratings

Films/DVD Asylum

Movies from comedy to drama to your favorite Hollyweird Star.

12.75.221.71

In Reply to: Re: Oh, brother! posted by Ears on February 19, 2001 at 17:22:16:

My rankings, and I warn y'all - I can be kinda snotty 'cause I saw Blood Simple when it came out:

1. Fargo.... An American classic - 'nuff said
2. Oh Brother Where Art Thou... I am vastly amused by the title, the play on Preston Sturges; I got a huge kick out of it the first time; I'm still digging the literary, cultural and film references; the casting, like Fargo, is marvelous down to the bit parts; the cinematography is gorgeous; I love the music; it's structured and paced better than anything by the bros since Fargo; George Clooney raises my decibels. I'm so tired of lowest common denominator blockbusters and art house mediocrity. Thank god this flick came out when it did.
3. Millers Crossing... Operatic in tone, perhaps a little overwrought in places, but wonderful cast, cinematography, script etc. Under-rated IMHO. Great music too. John Turturro is amazing in this flick. Somebody, somewhere is probably doing a thesis on "Imagery, Mystery and Mythology: The Meaning of Hats and Primary Props in the Films of the Coen Brothers." I betcha.
4. Blood Simple... I still love it because it was such a surprise at the time. A nice, nasty little flick. Makes a good triple bill with Red Rock West and The Grifters.

5. Barton Fink...Pretty arch, but as one who has suffered writer's block (not today, obviously), I find it pretty amusing. Too bad they coudn't figure out how to end it.

6. Raising Arizona...Cage & Hunter, whatta team. If Fink is arch, this is...hilarious? Hasn't worn as well as I thought it would. A love it or hate it kinda film. It was startlingly off the wall when first released, audacious for its time and not what I expected after Blood Simple.
7. The Big Lebowski...Wildly uneven. Almost anything with Jeff Bridges is worth seeing but I don't geddit. A guy flick??? Plenty of classic Coen movie moments however, particularly in the Bridges/Goodman exchanges.

8. The Hudsucker Proxy...A flawed, though interesting attempt. As much as I like the combo of the Coens, Tim Robbins and a period setting in theory, in reality, this film just doesn't work. HP is not helped by the extremely irritating performance of Jennifer Jason Leigh. Casting is key in Coen films.
See ya at the movies.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Oh, brother! - tinear 14:12:21 02/19/01 (8)

My ranking - badman 00:09:07 03/16/01 (0)

Re: Oh, brother! - Ears 17:22:16 02/19/01 (6)

Oh, brother! My Coen Brothers Ratings - Harmonia 14:56:06 02/24/01 (0)

Re: Oh, Oh brrrro. - tinear 01:00:08 02/20/01 (4)

Ugh, Barton. - Ears 15:46:54 02/21/01 (0)

Oh, blooder! - Ears 15:20:01 02/20/01 (2)

Q about "Blood Simple". - TAFKA Steve 18:59:44 02/20/01 (1)

Yep, that was her. (nt) - Ears 19:05:37 02/20/01 (0)

Follow Ups

Oh, brother! My Coen Brothers Ratings - Harmonia 14:56:06 02/24/01 (0)

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