No Country for Old Men (2007)

 

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande. 

Congenial adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel finds the Coen Bros. at the top of their art spinning a dark, sinister and thrilling tale full of excellent scenes, great photography and top performances all around.

Maltin***1/2: "Crackling tale...Creating tension from the first moments onward (and without the use of music), the Coens' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is a brooding tale of fate set against a stark backdrop...but not without irony and humor. Set on fire by Bardem's Academy Award-winning performance; brilliantly photographed by Roger Deakins." 

The Big Lebowski (1998)

 

Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Easy-going (like its titular character), serendipitous drama, full of black humor and numerous memorable sequences and with a colorful ensemble of eccentric characters is thoroughly entertaining; an instant cult classic.

Halliwell**: "A meandering thriller that provides a great deal of incidental pleasures on a journey to nowhere in particular."

Maltin**1/2: "One big shaggy-dog joke, courtesy of the Coen brothers...Mostly an excuse for off-the-wall character vignettes, some of which are amusing, some of which are just...strange. Minor Coen concoction with a most agreeable cast. Turturro is a standout as Jesus the bowler, but Bridges' Dave the Dude has become a pop culture icon." 

Barton Fink (1991)

True Grit (2010)

A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.

Solid and tasteful remake of a John Wayne classic with a great central performance, but the movie doesn't add anything new or unique.

On rewatching: Entertaining and well-made, but not better than the original; perfect role for Jeff Bridges, though.

Maltin***: "Remake of the 1969 hit allows Bridges to put his own stamp on the role...The Coens' script calls on their love for language..., while cinematographer Roger Deakins fills the screen with beautiful imagery. Entertaining, to be sure, but being as unsentimental as it is, there isn't any emotional resonance when it's all over."

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

An anthology film comprised of six stories, each dealing with a different aspect of life in the Old West.

The Coen Bros. actually make it work it: the often maligned anthology film; each episodes ups the ante from macabre satire to intense drama, brilliantly conceived, perfectly cast, and with wonderful cinematography.

New acquisition: The Coen Brothers

Suburbicon (2017)

As a 1950s suburban community self-destructs, a home invasion has sinister consequences for one seemingly normal family.

George Clooney's satire is clearly and successfully exploring Coen Bros territory, this time there's more darkness and dread than humour; the racism subplot, however, seems grafted and has hardly any reasonable connection to the main story.

Miller's Crossing (1990)

An advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.

Highly referential (and entertaining) neo-noir thriller, splendidly staged and cast and full of the Coen Bros' dark humour.

Halliwell**: "Sombre, solidly made thriller, directed with a macabre skill."

Maltin**1/2: "Moody, stylish, and pretentious take on gangster films...Dense and dour, it's almost doggedly off-putting at first, but gets more involving as its serpentine story unfolds. Some bravura moments..."

Blood Simple. (1984)

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.

Tongue-in-cheek homage to 50s Hollywood is especially convincing in its meticulous recreation of film scenes of diverse genres; in fact, the settings are all excellent, but the story with several subplots doesn't quite thrill, and the humour is sparse.

New acquisition: Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Joel & Ethan Coen

(ph: Nicolas Guérin)

Bridge of Spies (2015)

During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then to help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot.

Appropriately subdued reconstruction of true historic events has gentle suspense, fine period detail and two great lead performances.

Fargo (1996)

A car dealer's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of a pregnant policewoman.

A masterpiece of black comedy and arguably the directors' most perfect work summing up their oeuvre so far.

It's one of the few movies I enjoy rewatching again and again.

Halliwell****: "Deft, witty and original thriller which pits a pregnant, rural police chief against two city slickers; the violence, when it comes, is properly shocking, but it's the humanity that you will remember."

Maltin***1/2: "The Coen brothers put a unique spin on a murder case, layering their story with droll Minnesotans and winding up with a totally disarming comedy!"

New acquisition: Fargo (1996)

A birthday gift from my pal Ralf. Actually, he got me a Blu-ray/internet TV device, with which I can play it.