Retreading Ground: The Best Coen Brothers Movie

...is NOT "Intolerable Cruelty."

Yeah, we've gone over the subject before but by God, I just saw this movie and won't clutter up the movie thread by mentioning it. Definitely a bottom feeder.

I might still have to go with "Raising Arizona," but "O Brother Where Art Thou" is close. I've only seen "Brother" once, though. And I still haven't bought "True Grit."

 

Fargo

 

I love "Barton Fink." That's probably my favorite.

I think that "Miller's Crossing" is "Goodfellas"-level atmospherically - I mean, obviously there are significant stylistic differences, but in their own way, the Coens capture gangster culture in that era as well as Scorsese did for the '50s - although the plot is somewhat convoluted and tough to follow.

I'd probably go:

1. Barton Fink
2. Fargo
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Miller's Crossing
5. A Serious Man

I know No. 5 is not likely to be a popular choice, but I really, really thought it was outstanding. If this thread had been started a different day, or hell, an hour from now, I might have picked a different fifth. But I broke the tie by picking one that I thought might be unlikely to get as much love here.

Obviously I like their more serious stuff than the comedies, which I also think are wonderful, but just personal taste I like serious films more.

 

I agree Raising Arizona is still the Coen Brothers' finest moment followed by Fargo and Big Lebowski (which may seem overhyped but when I first saw it in college in the theater, I really loved it). Blood Simple is strong too. I didn't care for True Grit at all as it seemed to waste a lot of great actors.

 

The cool thing about "True Grit" is that it is one of the few remakes that is leaps and bounds better than the original. I think that the Coens saw a great film in there and worked very hard to bring it out.

 

One of my favorite movie moments of all time: "Well, which is it young feller? Do you want us to freeze? Or do you want us to lie down?"

 

Having never seen Barton Fink ... I will say Raising Arizona is NO-Contest No 1 IMO.

1. Raising Arizona.
2. No Company for Old Men
3. True Grit
4. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.
5. The Big Lebowski.

Though I to admit, aside from my top three, I am pretty lukewarm about their films.
I saw Miller's Crossing when I was 18, 19, 20 and didn't think it was that great.
Fargo, was just unfunny. I get it, everybody in Minnesota/North Dakota talks funny.

 

Do you like "Black Swan" and/or "Mulholland Drive"?

 

Have no seen Black Swan and don't plan too. No interest.

Mulholland Drive I saw when it came out and was lukewarm about it as well.

 

OK, then you might not love "Barton Fink," either. It's got that dream-like weirdness going on, as well. You can follow it better than "Mulholland Drive," and it's lighter most of the way than "Black Swan" (which I recognize you haven't seen), but it certainly shares a lot of DNA with those types of films.

 

1. No Country For Old Men
2. Miller's Crossing
3. Fargo

(no one likes The Hudsucker Proxy?)

 

The only reason I would be drawn to it would be John Turturro. I think he's a great actor, on an Edward Norton scale.