The hilariously twisted minds of the Coen brothers

By JOE WEINDL
Special to the Saipan Tribune

As Saipan endures a rainy season that, so far, seems a little more wet than usual, I wonder if revenues are on the rise at Blockbuster? A trip to the video store, though, can be as difficult as Christmas shopping for a Dad that has everything—how many polo shirts does one man need, anyway? While you wander, aimlessly, through the aisles of Blockbuster, trying to decide if Goonies is worth another viewing (it is), it can help if you have a mental list of movies you need to see. The work of the Coen brothers, Hollywood’s best writer/director tandem, is good enough to be on anybody’s must-see list, and plentiful enough to keep your DVD player busy until the good movies start making their way back to the theaters, sometime around Thanksgiving.

With the addition of last year’s Lady Killers, the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have worked together to write, produce and direct 11 movies. There are commonalities between all of them, but their exploits have varied, ranging from crime thriller to slapstick comedy.

The movies of the Coen brothers tend to dwell in the bizarre. Their movies place bizarre characters in bizarre situations, with complex, sometimes convoluted, yet always entertaining, plot twists. Those who can appreciate a little dark humor will fall in love with almost anything the Coen brothers make. Those who appreciate sharp dialogue will never be left disappointed. And, those who appreciate beautiful cinematography will be astounded by the average Coen brother movie. All of their movies are worth checking out; here are a few of my favorites.

Raising Arizona (1987)

Starring Nicolas Cage as an incompetent small-time crook, and Holly Hunter as his police officer wife, Raising Arizona is one of the funniest movies ever made. When “Hi” (Cage) and “Ed” (Hunter) learn that they’re unable to have a child on their own, they decide to “borrow” one from a rich couple that just gave birth to quintuplets, figuring with five, would they really miss one of them? Their seemingly simple solution to their problem gets a bit complicated with the introduction of Hi’s ex-con buddies, recently escaped from prison, and a ruthless Road Warrior-esque bounty hunter hired to find the kidnapped baby. The comedy in Raising Arizona is dark and silly at the same time. Plus, Cage and Hunter play their roles with such sincerity that you can’t help but feel for these trailer-trash underdogs in their misguided quest to get a critter of their own.

Fargo (1996)

Nominated for best picture, director, supporting actor, cinematography, and editing, and winning an Oscar for screenplay and best actress, Fargo is the Coen brother’s best received film, and the one you’re most likely to have already seen. While it does have plenty of funny moments, this is definitely not a comedy. Instead, the dark humor in the movie serves to make the tragic moments of this true story all the more poignant. When an amoral, deeply indebted used car salesman sets up the kidnapping of his wife to get ransom from his father in-law, seven month pregnant police officer Marge (Frances McDormand) is called to the scene to investigate a string of murders that have resulted from the kidnapping. Fargo is one of the few crime-dramas that is actually smart enough to hold your attention, and earnest enough to make you actually care for the characters on screen. Certainly a must-see film.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Why Jeff Bridges wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Big Lebowski is beyond me. Playing The Dude, aka Jeff Lebowski, a lazy, do-nothing pot-head, Bridges embodies his character with much sincerity. The Dude is the most believable and lovable stoner Hollywood has ever produced. When his rug is ruined, in a case of mistaken identity, The Dude sets out to recoup his loss, but ends up with the task of delivering the ransom for the kidnapping of millionaire Jeff Lebowski’s wife (the other Jeff Lebowski). Of course, nothing goes as planned, much to our amusement. John Goodman (a mainstay in Coen brothers’ movies) often steals the show as The Dude’s ill-tempered bowling buddy. Much like Raising Arizona, with its outrageous comedy, The Big Lebowski is yet another great comedy from the Coens.

A few other Coen brother movies worth looking into: Miller’s Crossing—prohibition era gangster movie; O, Brother, Where Art Though?—Southern musical comedy, loosely based on Homer’s “The Odyssey”; Intolerable Cruelty—atypical romantic comedy, with George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones.