The Coen Brothers Thread

[GWCGWC 83]

True Grit will be one of the very few movies I will see in the theater this year and I'm trying to avoid any and all information about the movie. I guess it's kind of silly for me to view this thread before I watch the movie.So thanks for the spoiler but it's very tempting to highlight and read the text.

[timwakefield 68]

New order:1 Big Lebowski2 Fargo (this is almost tied for first)3 NCFOM4 Barton Fink5 Miller's Crossing6 Hudsucker Proxy7 O Brother Where Art Thou?8 A Serious Man9 Raising Arizona10 Blood SimpleHonorable mention: The Man Who Wasn't There

[GWCGWC 83]

Watched True Grit last night and it's well worth the price of admission. NCFOM and Fargo are the top two of my Coen brothers lists but I'm not sure where True Grit would fall. Das Frau's spoilered post is well put as always.

I found myself paying close attention to the dialog and syntax. When I realized none of the characters were using contractions I started looking for them to the point of distraction. I'm guessing the commercials for this movie showed some of the funnier moments since people in the theater seemed to be looking to laugh. That was annoying but whatever. I successfully avoided all information about the movie besides general shooting locations so the entire movie was as fresh as possible. I don't remember the original and don't know how much of this movie resembled the first movie besides the general western theme, revenge motive, the character name Rooster Cogburn and the young girl on the trail with a grizzled old man. Mom's was a huge John Wayne fan so I know I've seen the original multiple times as a kid but all the John Wayne westerns kind of blur together in my memory.

I'm quite certain I'll be watching this movie again.

[SuitedAces21 2,722]

Serious Man really held up for me. I know the Coens get knocked sometimes for excessive character torture--but I felt a general affection for Larry Gopnik. He has a terrible time of it, but the character keeps struggling toward hope and understanding, and still has friends and family at the end of the movie.

does he? i'm not sure we saw the same ending. i saw a lot of despair coming at the end of that movie.

[GrindMachine 0]

This is a good point. I saw the big lebowski in the theatre, and I didn't quite get it the first time I saw it. I thought it was funny, but I didn't think it was sheer genius. Then I saw it again in college and it just slayed me but also blew me away.

Is that cos maybe you were incredibly high at college?!

[Skeleton Jelly 2]

New order:1 Big Lebowski2 Fargo (this is almost tied for first)3 NCFOM4 Barton Fink5 Miller's Crossing6 Hudsucker Proxy7 O Brother Where Art Thou?8 A Serious Man9 Raising Arizona10 Blood SimpleHonorable mention: The Man Who Wasn't There

I find it really hard to order them; it's easier to just put them in tiers.Top TierNCFOMLebowski2nd TierTrue GritHudsuckerO BrotherBurn After Reading3rd TierMiller's CrossingA Serious Man4th TierFargo (yeah, I know)Raising ArizonaMeh TierThe Man Who Wasn't ThereThe Ladykillers

I'm guessing the commercials for this movie showed some of the funnier moments since people in the theater seemed to be looking to laugh. That was annoying but whatever.

I wasn't looking to laugh, but I still did a lot of it. Not like belly laughs, but just an amusement of the dialogue. I love the way they write dialogue, like the scenes with the girl and the horse trader. There's plenty to laugh about in there.Jeff Bridges and the girl were both really great. I didn't like Matt Damon as much. One area where the Coens really shine is their casting; they almost always pick the perfect person for the role, but Damon was just a little off. Good, but not Coens' good if that makes sense.

[SuitedAces21 2,722]

Skel Jell: I like your list. But we disagree on your third tier. I'd move both 'Miller's Crossing' and 'A Serious Man' up into tier two; and I'd move 'Burn After' and 'O Brother' down below them. Haven't seen True Grit yet, hoping to soon. And Fargo should be up there behind Lebowski. I'd also put 'Blood Simple' into the bottom of tier 2, maybe top of tier three.

[Skeleton Jelly 2]

I'd move both 'Miller's Crossing' and 'A Serious Man' up into tier two.

I've only seen those movies once, but I've seen all the ones above it multiple times (except True Grit). It's possible the ordering could change after additional viewings. Or just change based on my mood. My Pixar tiers change all the time based on my mood.

[timwakefield 68]

I've only seen those movies once, but I've seen all the ones above it multiple times (except True Grit). It's possible the ordering could change after additional viewings. Or just change based on my mood. My Pixar tiers change all the time based on my mood.

Have you seen Barton Fink? It is noticeably missing from your list.

[brvheart 1,752]

I find it really hard to order them; it's easier to just put them in tiers.Top TierNCFOMLebowski2nd TierTrue GritHudsuckerO BrotherBurn After Reading3rd TierMiller's CrossingA Serious Man4th TierFargo (yeah, I know)Raising ArizonaMeh TierThe Man Who Wasn't ThereThe LadykillersI wasn't looking to laugh, but I still did a lot of it. Not like belly laughs, but just an amusement of the dialogue. I love the way they write dialogue, like the scenes with the girl and the horse trader. There's plenty to laugh about in there.Jeff Bridges and the girl were both really great. I didn't like Matt Damon as much. One area where the Coens really shine is their casting; they almost always pick the perfect person for the role, but Damon was just a little off. Good, but not Coens' good if that makes sense.

The (yeah, I know) should be behind Raising Arizona.Also, I agree about Damon. Glen Campbell in the first True Grit was much better in that role, and he wasn't even an actor.

[timwakefield 68]

The (yeah, I know) should be behind Raising Arizona.

...

[brvheart 1,752]

...

Don't make me start disrespecting you Tim.

[runthemover 39]

I should be sleeping but here's the real tiers. I haven't decided yet on True GritTop of the Pops: "No Country for Old Men", "The Big Lebowski", "Fargo", ("True Grit")Top Ten List: ("True Grit"), "A Serious Man", "Blood Simple", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"Five Questions: "Raising Arizona", "Miller's Crossing", "Barton Fink", "The Hudsucker Proxy"Come on Man: "The Man Who Wasn't There"Total Request Live: "Burn After Reading", "Intolerable Cruelty", "The Lady Killers"

[timwakefield 68]

Don't make me start disrespecting you Tim.

Edit: I figured it out. Before I didn't know what you were talking about.

[Skeleton Jelly 2]

Have you seen Barton Fink? It is noticeably missing from your list.

No, but I plan on it.I've been planning on it for a long time though.Blood Simple too.

[brvheart 1,752]

I should be sleeping but here's the real tiers. I haven't decided yet on True GritTop of the Pops: "No Country for Old Men", "The Big Lebowski", "Fargo", ("True Grit")Top Ten List: ("True Grit"), "A Serious Man", "Blood Simple", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"Five Questions: "Raising Arizona", "Miller's Crossing", "Barton Fink", "The Hudsucker Proxy"Come on Man: "The Man Who Wasn't There"Total Request Live: "Burn After Reading", "Intolerable Cruelty", "The Lady Killers"

This here is a pretty terrible ranking order.

[brvheart 1,752]

No, but I plan on it.I've been planning on it for a long time though.Blood Simple too.

Let me do you a HUGE favor. Blood Simple sucks. It's easily one of the worst Coen movies. It's obvious it's their first real movie, and doesn't have a good payoff. People remember it nostalgically, because in 1984 it was solid, but it's definitely nothing special now.Now go watch it. You're welcome.

[GWCGWC 83]

True Grit audience laughter first annoying moment:

The three men were on the gallows giving their final words. (I thought this was going to be a Jesus thing but it wasn't.) The first man waxes poetic about his failures and warns the crowd to not end up like him or whatever. The second man shows no remorse and just wants to get it over with. As the third man, who I think we are to assume is Indian (it seemed a little ambiguous-he was brown) is about to give his final words but because he's brown, the deputy (I assume) places the death hood over his head before he can speak. This brought on a type audience guffaws I associate with slap stick. While this was intentionally humorous, it wasn't guffaw worthy. I mean, it's not even laugh at funny. There's plenty of humor in this movie but I'm either too slow to get the haha out loud jokes, I have a poorly developed sense of humor for haha out loud jokes (well sure), the audience was quick to laugh from what I assume was the marketing of this movie, or something else. I mean, sure the negotiations between Maggie and the livery owner was funny but haha funny? Ah crap, I just started listing moments I found funny in a, "that's funny", thinking to myself kind of way kind of way but the list kept growing and got impossibly long.

Whatever, I've decided I need to see True Grit again and I'm not sure if I'll be able to wait for the dvd release. I want to pay closer attention to the dialog and there's a scene that's been bugging me.

After Rooster pulls Mattie up the mine shaft with the help of LeBouff. Rooster is about to ride off with Mattie to get help from a doctor. Was LeBouff staying behind to collect the dead men for the bounties or what? Didn't Rooster say something to LeBouff like, stay here and I'll send someone back? I need this nagging loose end tied up in a neat pretty red bow. I totally missed something big here.

Those of you who didn't dig Fargo or have it low on your best of Coen list should give it another shot.

[brvheart 1,752]

True Grit audience laughter first annoying moment:

The three men were on the gallows giving their final words. (I thought this was going to be a Jesus thing but it wasn't.) The first man waxes poetic about his failures and warns the crowd to not end up like him or whatever. The second man shows no remorse and just wants to get it over with. As the third man, who I think we are to assume is Indian (it seemed a little ambiguous-he was brown) is about to give his final words but because he's brown, the deputy (I assume) places the death hood over his head before he can speak. This brought on a type audience guffaws I associate with slap stick. While this was intentionally humorous, it wasn't guffaw worthy. I mean, it's not even laugh at funny. There's plenty of humor in this movie but I'm either too slow to get the haha out loud jokes, I have a poorly developed sense of humor for haha out loud jokes (well sure), the audience was quick to laugh from what I assume was the marketing of this movie, or something else. I mean, sure the negotiations between Maggie and the livery owner was funny but haha funny? Ah crap, I just started listing moments I found funny in a, "that's funny", thinking to myself kind of way kind of way but the list kept growing and got impossibly long.

Whatever, I've decided I need to see True Grit again and I'm not sure if I'll be able to wait for the dvd release. I want to pay closer attention to the dialog and there's a scene that's been bugging me.

After Rooster pulls Mattie up the mine shaft with the help of LeBouff. Rooster is about to ride off with Mattie to get help from a doctor. Was LeBouff staying behind to collect the dead men for the bounties or what? Didn't Rooster say something to LeBouff like, stay here and I'll send someone back? I need this nagging loose end tied up in a neat pretty red bow. I totally missed something big here.

Those of you who didn't dig Fargo or have it low on your best of Coen list should give it another shot.

[Skeleton Jelly 2]

...

I don't know what this is in reference to.I've seen Fargo twice. There were some quality scenes, but I just couldn't get into it for whatever reason.Edit: Or your picture.

[brvheart 1,752]

I don't know what this is in reference to.

I think I'm going to pass on getting into explicit detail, but let's just say I didn't like his initial paragraph, and I'm glad he's watching it again. SINCE IT SEEMS HE MISSED THE WHOLE MOVIE.

[SuitedAces21 2,722]

This here is a pretty terrible ranking order.

i really, really like you.

[Theraflu 1,035]

Let me do you a HUGE favor. Blood Simple sucks. It's easily one of the worst Coen movies. It's obvious it's their first real movie, and doesn't have a good payoff. People remember it nostalgically, because in 1984 it was solid, but it's definitely nothing special now.Now go watch it. You're welcome.

I don't know, I watched it a few months ago and enjoyed it. I'm not sure you're doing him a favor by telling him not to watch it. It's not one of their best movies, but it's certainly more coherent and enjoyable than Man Who Wasn't There. Barton Fink is definitely a great watch though, SJ needs to see that.

[Skeleton Jelly 2]

I don't know, I watched it a few months ago and enjoyed it. I'm not sure you're doing him a favor by telling him not to watch it.

He didn't say not to watch it. In fact, he specifically said, "Now go watch it." He was just trying to lower my expectations.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

yeah, but dude, next year xXx 3D* comes out, with Vin returning the the franchise. SO SUCK IT*i don't really know that it's going to be 3D, but since it's the 3rd of the xXx, I think 3D is a safe bet. Though I don't know if the world is ready for that kind of XTREME, in your face attitude in 3D**** the world might not be ready, but I sure as **** am.