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LEAST Favorite Coen Brothers Movie and Why

post #1 of 17
2/8/04 at 2:39pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, this was inspired by the other thread. I was just thinking about how I love ALL of their movies, save one.

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE.

Don't get me wrong, there are things to love about it; the cinematography, Thornton's quiet performance, Tony Shaloub playing a loudmouth once again...

...but honestly? The whole thing just never comes together for me. The "twists" are almost too subdued and have no emotion behind them. It's just a cold, cold movie and I really can't get myself to care about any of the characters. This is a problem a lot of critics have with many Coen movies. I ususally don't see it, but in this film...I see it in spades.

I love all the others. Even Hudsucker and Intolerable Cruelty. Just wondering what you guys think.
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post #2 of 17
2/8/04 at 2:58pm
That's pretty much it. A well-crafted movie I didn't enjoy very much.
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post #3 of 17
2/8/04 at 4:03pm
Intolerable Cruelty. It doesn't feel like a Coen Brothers movie, and unlike Man Who Wasn't There (which also doesn't feel like a Coen Bros. film), it isn't well crafted at all.
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post #4 of 17
2/16/04 at 7:48pm
Of the ones I have seen I find Fargo to be the poorest. To me it is just too slow and not particularly funny. I suppose part of it is to do with the fact that I can't relate to the Homer Simpson style characters in the film, but I think it's just because it lacks the imagination and flair of many of their other films.

I think The Man Who Wasn't There is understated and a very good piece of work.
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post #5 of 17
2/22/04 at 11:00am
O Brother, Where Art Thou?--Probably the only Coens flick I actively dislike. Trying to sit through the whole thing is like torture for some reason. Yeah, yeah, alright soundtrack, a couple of jokes and mannerisms manage to click... but damn if the whole thing doesn't wear thin in the first half hour.

Honorable mentions:

"Intolerable Cruelty"--pretty funny, one of the funniest movies from last year I can remember seeing, but still, rather slight on the whole.

"The Man Who Wasn't There"--Pretty good; not, however, "I wanna watch that one again soon/eventually" good.
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post #6 of 17
2/22/04 at 11:28am
What about Coen Air ?
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post #7 of 17
2/22/04 at 1:17pm
Intolerable Cruelty.
I don't know how much of the screenplay they wrote, but it felt like it wasn't their material at all. It seemed like they had just tried to imprint their own peculiar style on an otherwise rather uninteresting romantic comedy. The end result felt wrong, wrong, wrong.
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post #8 of 17
2/22/04 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by muncie girl
Intolerable Cruelty.
I don't know how much of the screenplay they wrote, but it felt like it wasn't their material at all. It seemed like they had just tried to imprint their own peculiar style on an otherwise rather uninteresting romantic comedy. The end result felt wrong, wrong, wrong.
The original screenplay was written by the first two sets of guys (can't remember their names). The Coens did a pretty expansive re-write. I think the first hour has some fantastic 30's era dialogue, with a lot of crackeling wit and double entandres.

It's the second half that completly falls apart for me. I still like it though.

However, they have admitted that when they first got the script and were encouraged (By Clooney...and others) to re-write it and direct it, they were hesitant.
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post #9 of 17
2/22/04 at 7:33pm
I'm gonna have to go with O'Brother Where Art Thou? I found it generally dull. I'm definitely looking forward to the Ladykillers, though.
Quote:
where there's cash, there's french whores with soap
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post #10 of 17
2/23/04 at 3:16pm
I am very surprised to see Fargo or O Brother mentioned here. Their two most successful films with the most critical acclaim get marked as their worst? Just because it isn't a hidden gem like Miller's Crossing or Hudsucker Proxy doesn't make it too mainstream to be good.

HOWEVER... by far, Intolerable Cruelty is the most awful. As soon as I saw Mr. Grazer's name attached AND two other screenwrites, I knew it wasn't going to be truly authentic Coen. While watching it, I could tell which parts were Coen and which parts weren't. It was a night & day effect. Very unfortunate.

Not to mention, The Ladykillers could also be a dud. The Coens doing a remake seems odd, not to mention a remake of a good film. But I'll always put my money on 'em.
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post #11 of 17
2/23/04 at 3:41pm

Intolerable Cruelty

Quote:
Originally posted by Parker
It's the second half that completly falls apart for me.
Saw it this weekend and had the same opinion. Watching up to the hour-mark I was confused as to why I hadn't heard people raving about what a classic comedy it was. Sadly it became apparent from that point on. Opportunity missed.
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post #12 of 17
2/23/04 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Intolerable Cruelty

Quote:
Originally posted by Rob Rocco
Saw it this weekend and had the same opinion. Watching up to the hour-mark I was confused as to why I hadn't heard people raving about what a classic comedy it was. Sadly it became apparent from that point on. Opportunity missed.
It's really strange. Like...as soon as the movie switches location to Vegas, you can practicly see the wheels beginning to fall apart and slide away.
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post #13 of 17
2/23/04 at 4:50pm
Agreed. That said, Clooney's performance in the first half is gold. His range of expressions when he looks at the "Living Without Intestines" centerfold kills me.
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post #14 of 17
4/8/04 at 3:54pm
Oh, Brother Where Art Thou: At two hours (or close to it), I waited for something to happen--anything--but the movie just did not have a pulse. Intolerable Cruelty was bad, too, but I think I laughed once, which isn't saying much because with the Coen's I am usually rewarded for listening, but on these two occassions I was not. The Ladykillers looks insufferable.
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post #15 of 17
4/8/04 at 6:22pm
Miller's Crossing. It just wasn't all that good. I couldn't get into the story, and i couldn't sympathize with Gabriel Byrne's character or any other character for that matter.
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post #16 of 17
4/24/04 at 3:50pm
in the past 12 months I'd have to say it's a toss up between Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers....

let's go with the latter. Clooney was a lot easier to watch than Hanks.
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post #17 of 17
4/25/04 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Goldberg
Intolerable Cruelty. It doesn't feel like a Coen Brothers movie,
That.
Doesn't mean I hate it, though. A swedish reviewer on TV said it best: "It's not a bad movie by any means, it's only the Coen brothers' worst."
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