The Big Reviewski – Top 10 Coen Brothers Films

A new Coen Brother’s film is always an occasion to look forward to. I’m a big fan of their work and have seen all of their films many times over. They seem to flit seamlessly between comedy and drama, and can take their audiences to (often surreal) places like no other film makers I’ve ever experienced. With a back catalogue dating back to 1984, of their 17 written and directed films there has only been one that I’ve not loved. Their 2004 remake of  The Ladykillers didn’t particularly resonate with me. There was the occasional chuckle to be had, and some solid performances, however, I feel of all their work, it is the weakest by far.

I was originally going to attempt a top 5 but realised, with such an amazing collection of films, it was near enough impossible. Having sacrilegiously left out such classics as Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy and O Brother Where Art Thou? and taking into account Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers and their involvement with Paris J’Taime, Crimewave and Unbroken I could have quite easily stretched this out to a top 20. Alas, after much scrutiny, I’ve condensed it down as narrowly as I could. So, with the whimsical Hail, Caesar! fresh in my mind, here’s my top 10 films from the Coens:

10.  True Grit (2010)

Having re-watched this film recently, True Grit was a late contender for the top 10. Just pushing out Miller’s Crossing, the Oscar nominated Western kicks off my list. It would be unfair to call the film a remake of John Wayne’s 1969 classic as the film’s don’t share a great deal of DNA. Focusing more on the source material of the original novel, Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon partner up brilliantly with Hailee Steinfeld and lead a wonderfully shot drama about a revenge fueled manhunt. The soundtrack and cinematography really breathe life into the film, and having seen many modern Westerns, this is without doubt one of the finest.

9. Burn After Reading (2008)

It’s been rather a common trend for the Coen’s to immediately follow one of their gritty, awards heavy dramas with a furiously offbeat comedy. Rasing Arizona came after Blood Simple. The Big Lebowski followed Fargo. Intolerable Cruelty proceeded The Man Who Wasn’t There and their latest release Hail, Caesar! came off the back of Inside Llewyn Davis. 2008 was no exception. With No Country For Old Men collecting 4 Oscars, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best supporting actor, it’s hardly surprising that their follow up Burn After Reading was met with mixed reviews. In my opinion the film is vastly underrated. With a superb ensemble cast, and some genuine laugh out loud comedy moments, the film is definitely one of their quirkiest. I think it’s one of those films you either go with or think “what on Earth is this?”. I went with it.

8. Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Set in the 1950’s Hail, Caesar! is a touching homage to the golden age of cinema. From biblical epics, to Westerns, to period dramas to all singing-all dancing musicals, the film follows Josh Brolin’s Eddie Mannix around the sound stages of ‘Capitol Pictures’. Keeping a cool head he skillfully attempts to deal with a kidnapped leading man, a pregnant starlet, an inarticulate cowboy actor and an eccentric yet acclaimed European director. All whilst keeping journalists at bay, juggling his home life and perusing new employment avenues. The film is laugh out loud funny in places, and the attention to period details is superbly accurate. When it comes to Coen Brother’s comedies, they are quite comfortable taking their films to offbeat conclusions and have on occasion flirted with the surreal. The end of Hail, Caesar! is definitely one of the most bizarrely baffling endings I’ve seen for a very long time. The sheer absurdity of it is nothing short of genius.

7. Fargo (1996)

I love ‘cold’ films. The Thing, The Shining, Edward Scissorhands etc, and Fargo has to be a contender for one of the coldest films of all time. It has all the best Coen Brothers traits, skillfully merged together with fantastic performances across the board. Blending comedy with bloody violence, mystery and drama, Fargo is perhaps the finest example of their formula. Using the classic Coen’s trademark, of a very simple idea that goes disastrously wrong and spirals out of control, Fargo begins with a scheme for two men to kidnap the wife of a car salesman. Arranged by the husband, the plan was to stage a kidnapping and set a ransom for his millionaire father-in-law to pay. He would then pay off the kidnappers and keep the remainder of the ransom for himself. Complications arise and the body count starts increasing, which attracts the attention of the local law enforcement. Long time Coen Brother’s collaborator Frances McDormand turns in her finest performance to date as the Chief of Police Marge Gunderson.

6. A Serious Man (2009)

If Burn After Reading is one of the brother’s quirkiest films, A Serious Man may be THE quirkiest. It took a few repeat viewings for me to get my head around it. After the first, I was slightly underwhelmed. I’ve probably seen the film around 5 times now, and it’s grown to be one of my favourites. Like a lot of the Coen’s comedies, the comedy is so straight faced and bleak it’s almost none existent. It’s one of the most unique films they’ve done to date, which is really saying something.

5. Barton Fink (1991)

The 1990’s was perhaps the brothers most optimal decade. Producing arguably their finest work. From 1990 – 2000, there wasn’t really any filler. I’ve always championed Barton Fink and for a short while it occupied the number 1 spot in my list. A really oddball film with some powerful performances. With such a claustrophobic setting, and horrors gradually unfolding it’s possibly the finest film ever made about the writing process.

4. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

This slow burning noir-thriller, has all of the Coen’s finest traits. One of their many films following an anti-hero and a seemingly straight forward criminal scheme. As is usually the case, the plan goes drastically wrong, and a suspenseful drama plays out with twists, turns and horrific moments. It’s one of Billy Bob Thornton’s finest roles and a massively underrated installment in the Coen Brothers back catalogue.

3. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

I fell in love with this film instantly. As Oscar Isaac opens the film, playing Hang Me, Oh Hang Me in it’s entirety you get a sense of the tone. From there, it plays out beautifully giving the audience a glimpse into the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 1960’s. With a wonderful supporting cast, and one of the finest soundtracks of all time, Inside Llewyn Davis, is currently their finest film of the decade.  

2. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Possibly the least Coen brothers Coen brothers film I’ve seen. And not in a bad way. I mean simply that, the Coen’s work generally seems to hide away just outside the mainstream. Despite working with global superstars and having A-list ensemble casts, their work is usually too kooky and unique to get the acknowledgement of the general public. Nearly always popular with critics, their work has more of a cult following with audiences. No Country For Old Men however seemed to break this trend, becoming hugely popular at the box office. At it’s time of release, in terms of the box office numbers, it was their highest grossing film by quite a margin, as well as their most successful film in terms of Academy Awards achievements. It’s a beautifully simplistic tale about a drug deal gone wrong. With it’s unique minimalist soundtrack and superbly talented ensemble cast, the Coen’s manage to create some of the most tense and gripping moments in modern cinema.

1. The Big Lebowski (1998)

This was the film that really kick started my fascination with the Coens. I first discovered the film in a typical cliched film student manner during my first year of Uni. After being recommend the movie by a fellow student and advised to get merry, I settled into the bizarrely brilliant work and let it unfold magnificently. There’s been too many repeat viewings since then to count (none of them sober) and this cult classic still remains my favourite Coen brothers film to date.

 

 

 

“Sell me THIS pen” – My Top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio Performances

With the Oscars at the end of the month Leonardo DiCaprio is the front runner to come away with the Best Actor award. Having yet to see The Revenant I am unable to assess his performance, but I’ve heard from reliable sources that it seemed more like an endurance test as apposed to an acting role. After 3 leading actor nominations and a nomination for best supporting actor, it may be time the academy give him his long overdue prize.

Similarly with Martin Scorsese, having missed out 5 times on the Oscar for best director, he finally won in 2007 for his film The Departed. I wouldn’t particularly class The Departed as his best achievement in directing, especially when compared to some of his previously nominated films, Goodfellas, The Aviator or Raging Bull for example. However, it was simply, his turn to win.

I’m sure Leonardo gives a fantastic performance in The Revenant and if he does win, I’m sure it will be duly deserved, however I do feel it is another case of it simply being, his turn.

I’m a big Leo fan and have admired his work for years. So outside of his fur trapping and rambling here are my top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio performances:

10. Amsterdam Vallon – Gangs of New York (2002)

DiCaprio’s first collaboration with director Martin Scorsese gave him the challenging feat of sharing scenes with one of the greatest actors on the planet, Daniel Day Lewis. Scorsese and DiCaprio would go on to produce much more memorable work together, but as a staring post, Leonardo was shaking off the squeaky clean teen idol image brilliantly.

9. Romeo – Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Updating a Shakespeare classic, with Hawaiian shirts, guns, pop music and a few Hollywood heavyweights. It’s a pretty camp and frothy affair, but nevertheless, DiCaprio turns in a solid performance. A performance that officially lands him in the same exclusive Shakespearean actors club as thesps Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh.

8. Billy Costigan – The Departed (2006)

Scorsese’s Oscar winning crime drama saw DiCaprio as part of a very impressive acting ensemble. Starring alongside Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin and (the show stealing) Mark Wahlberg, Leo holds his own and helped carry the film to the number one spot at the Academy Awards.

7. Dominik Cobb – Inception (2010)

Chris Nolan’s mind-funk masterpiece was undoubtedly the highlight of 2010, and DiCaprio’s performance as the suave action hero Cobb was key to the films success. Leading a fantastic stable of co-stars, the whole film essentially rests of the character of Cobb and his emotional and psychological struggle to keep his reality and dreamscapes under control.

6. Frank Abagnale Jr. – Catch Me If You Can (2002)

A massively underrated Steven Spielberg picture that was perhaps dwarfed by the big budget blockbusters, Minority Report and War of the Worlds released either side of it. I’m particularly fond of this film due to DiCaprio’s fantastic performance. It was the first time I’d seen Leonardo ‘do some acting’. I’d seen him previously in Titanic, The Man in the Iron Mask and Romeo + Juliet, where he appeared to be more window dressing than anything else. However he turns up in Catch Me If You Can playing the role of a con-man on the run from the law, and does it quite brilliantly.

5. Teddy Daniels – Shutter Island (2010)

The first film I ever watched on Blu-Ray was indeed Martin Scorsese’s twisty and turny mystery thriller. Fantastic cinematography, a brilliant supporting cast and a phenomenal soundtrack and period setting, make this one of my favourite installments to the Martin Scorsese back catalogue and one of my favourite DiCaprio roles.

4. Jay Gatsby – The Great Gatsby (2013)

For my money, Baz Luhrmann’s finest film to date is his version of Gatsby, and DiCaprio’s central role can only really be described as: “Smashing old sport.”

3. Calvin Candie – Django Unchained (2012)

I found Quentin Tarantino’s 7th film to be a bit of a mixed bag. There were things about it I really enjoyed, however I found the end product a bit too flabby around the edges. I had high hopes for Christoph Waltz’s character, after his sublime turn in Tarantino’s previous film Inglorious Basterds. It just wasn’t quite there for me in parts. However every single scene featuring Leonardo DiCaprio was brilliant. He stole the film by far, and it’s perhaps his most eccentric role to date.

Finally! We get to a period piece, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio on a large boat, about secret affairs, leading to a big crash:

2. Jordan Belfort – The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The period being the late 80’s / early 90’s, the big boat being the luxury yacht the Naomi, and the big crash being that of the stock market in 1987. Based on the true story of Wall Street stock-broker Jorden Belfort, the entire film is an orgy of excess. Be it drugs, women or money, DiCaprio throws himself into the role full throttle and turns out one of the best performances of his career.

1. Howard Hughes – The Aviator (2004)

DiCaprio takes on the role of film director / aviation pioneer Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese’s biopic. It’s been my favourite Leonardo DiCaprio role for years, as he really encapsulates the neurotic and paranoid behavioral mannerisms of Hughes rather brilliantly. It’s a transformative performance, and losing out to Jamie Foxx for Ray, should have been the year he took home the Academy Award for Best Actor.

 

 

Are you paying attention? – The 2015 Oscars Run Down

With the 2015 Academy Awards approaching. I thought I’d join the (nerdy) crowd and throw in my two pennies worth. Having been fortunate enough to see a considerable amount of nominated films this year, including all films in the Best Picture and Best Actor in a leading role categories. I felt more than capable of outlining why an academy composed of almost 6,000 motion picture professionals are (probably going to be) wrong and why I’m right.

Whereas this years Oscars are being criticized, by some, as not being as culturally diverse as previous years, there is definite diversity between the front-runners. In the Best Picture category alone we have Action, Drama, War, Comedy and Thrillers including four extremely different biographical stories from (relatively) recent history.

Stylistically, all films bring something different to the table, and with career best performances from Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bradley Cooper, J.K Simmons, Felicity Jones, Keira Knightly and Rosamund Pike. This years awards could be both surprising and memorable.

In this post, I’ll give a brief summary of the favourites. I’ll touch on anything the academy may have missed (The Lego Movie being absent from the Best Animated Feature Film, clearly being the most heinous offence). Finally I’ll finish with a run down of the top 6 categories with a ‘Favourite to win’ / ‘Who should win’ comparison.

Are you paying attention?

Best Picture

American Sniper

An extremely solid production from director Clint Eastwood. As is the case with all of Eastwood’s films, there isn’t an ounce of fat on it. The film is incredibly tight and concise, and tells the biographical story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a Navy SEAL sniper who, during his four tours of Iraq, became a modern legend in the military. His inherited status was due to his impeccable accuracy, culminating in a staggering amount of confirmed kills.

With a trans-formative performance from Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood’s masterclass direction, the film is very even handed in it’s portrayal of the modern American military. After reading the synopsis, I was half expecting, Call of Duty: The Movie. However, Eastwood leaves a lot open to debate, and whereas he does manage to capture the ‘lad’ culture one often associates with the military, he also displays soldiers vulnerability and raises many questions regarding whether violence does beget violence.

All in all, a very nicely put together piece. Although, I don’t think it will be a serious contender in any of the categories for which it is nominated. Also, I feel Sienna Miller was definitely worthy of a Best Actress in a Supporting role nomination. Her recent roles in American Sniper and Foxcatcher have shown her to be, surprisingly, a very accomplished performer.

Birdman

A strong contender in all of its categories. Birdman is the story of a (once major) movie star (played by Michael Keaton) who found fame in the 1980’s for his portrayal of the superhero Birdman. Having had a career in decline since his initial stardom, Keaton’s character Riggan is desperate to prove himself as a serious actor and artist. Writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play is his attempt at a comeback, and the film centers around his theatrical production. The play appears to be jinxed, as Riggan finds himself in whirlwind of chaos which surrounds the theatre. Whilst simultaneously battling with co-stars, critics and autograph hunters his biggest battle is his internal battle with sanity.

One of my favourite films at this years Academy Awards. Birdman is, stylistically, beautifully filmed, in one (seemingly) continuous shot. Reminiscent of films such as Running Time and Hitchcock’s Rope, Birdman is a visual delight, and really encapsulates the sense of claustrophobia, as it follows our cast through the nooks, crannies, corridors and back passages of a New York theatre. With bursts of visual splendor and raw emotion from Keaton, the film is both hilarious and intense throughout.

Boyhood

Winner of Best Drama at this years Golden Globes, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood is the bookies favourite to pick up the Oscar for Best Picture. A phenomenal achievement in directing, the film chronicles the adolescence of Mason. Filmed over 12 years, we follow Mason and his family through divorce, relocation, home-life and school life.

In the traditional Linklater fashion the script is ripe with existential dialogue, left wing politics and amusing riffs on pop culture. Featuring a memorable performance from, a regular player in the Linkelater stable, Ethan Hawke, the running time of 2 hrs 45 minutes flies by.

Being a huge Linklater fan, and enjoying all of his work to date, Boyhood is much more in the vein of his Before trilogy Dazed & Confused and Waking Life. As apposed to his more mainstream directorial outings such as School of Rock and Fast Food Nation.

It is clear to see why such a gargantuan project, in terms of production, has been so highly acclaimed, and why Boyhood leads the pack in almost every poll. Despite the technical achievement in film-making, I think the script and story is Linklater’s finest work to date.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

A star studded farcical comedy from writer / director Wes Anderson showcases a (surprisingly) remarkable comic turn from Ralph Fiennes. Anderson’s styalised direction is typical of his previous work, and similarly lands somewhere between reality and fantasy.

With the films fast pace, bonkers plot and frequent A-List cameos, the film always feels like it has the potential to go completely off the rails, but it never does. The genius behind the films success is Anderson’s watertight direction. Every joke, every line, every piece of physical comedy is orchestrated and choreographed to absolute perfection, making it one of Wes Anderson’s finest films. Without doubt it is the funniest in
his back catalogue.

Having been nominated previously at the Academy Awards for Best Original Screeenplay and Best Animated Feature, this is Anderson’s first nomination in both the Best Picture and Best Director categories.

The Imitation Game

A biographical dramatisation of Alan Turing’s military service, as head of a secret team of mathematicians attempting to break the Nazi’s enigma code. The film shifts time frames between Turing’s service during the Second World War, his later prosecution for soliciting a gay man and his teenage years at a private boys high school.

An extremely intriguing and nail-biting thriller see’s Turing’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) team attempt to construct an intelligent machine that will decipher encrypted Nazi war commands. The main selling point of this film for me was the historical importance of the story. Knowing nothing of Turing’s work during WW2, I found this to be both engaging and heartbreaking. It is a very safe ensemble cast surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch. Whereas all the performances are superb, I did feel like it was a group of accomplished actors just doing their thing. Cumberbatch was essentially being Sherlock in the 1940’s. Charles Dance being the dry authoritative figure. Keira Knightly being Keira Knightly (who just happens to be a mathematics prodigy). Matthew Goode being slightly slimy and confrontational. Whereas all the performances were top class, I don’t feel they were straying too far from the groups comfort zones. Admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of Keira Knightly, however I do feel her shtick works well in this film, and I believe this may be her finest performance to date. Definitely worthy of a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Based on the competition in each category, I would be very surprised if Benedict Cumberbatch is considered as a serious threat for Best Actor and I don’t feel the film as a whole will come close to winning Best Picture.

Selma

David Oyelowo turns in a career best performance as Martin Luther King Jr, in Ava DuVernay’s biographical dramatisation of 1965’s legendary Alabama march for equality.

The film is extremely powerful, and is gruelingly uncompromising in it’s depiction of brutality against African Americans, in Alabama, in the mid 60’s. The reason the film really worked for me was that it was acutely focused on the small segment of King’s life (The Selma to Montgomery march). As apposed to the ambitious biographical tale of Nelson Mandela in 2013’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom or Richard Attenborough’s 1982 biopic Gandhi, Selma expands on a specific point of King’s campaign for equality and the film doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.

With a fantastic supporting ensemble featuring Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi, Andre Holland and Loraine Toussaint to name but a few, I enjoyed Selma a lot more than I thought I would. Knowing little about the production prior to viewing, I was expecting an epic biography of one of the 20th Century’s greatest activist, but instead, got a well observed document of (frankly unbelievable) discriminatory racial cruelty, in far too recent history.

The Theory of Everything

An in depth character study of Stephen Hawking. The film begins with his time at Cambridge University, and the revelation of his initial diagnosis of motor neurone disease. Focused more on his personal relationships than his academic career, Eddie Redmayne delivers a completely mesmerising performance, that brilliantly conveys the day to day struggle and emotional strife that comes with living with an incapacitating illness.

Felicity Jones compliments Redmayne onscreen superbly, as Hawking’s wife / carer Jane. Her performance is phenomenal as we see her attempting to keep together an expanding family that is put under enormous strain due to Hawking’s condition.

With modest direction and precise attention to period detail, the film is very handsomely made with a fabulously emotive score by Jóhann Jóhannsson (Nominated in the best original score category).

Whiplash

The definite underdog in the best picture category (according to the bookies). Whiplash is a semi-autobiographical story from the relatively unknown writer/ director Damien Chazelle. With a relatively unknown lead actor, Miles Teller, and a niche subject matter, the film opened to limited release. Other than it being about drumming, I knew very few details of the film in general. I must say, this is my favourite of all the nominated films this year.

The director captures the sense of determination and frustration incredibly, and has created one of the most vicious onscreen monsters I have ever seen. J.K Simmons is outstanding as Terrence Fletcher, the Jazz teacher that pushes his students to breaking point, in order to achieve musical perfection. Both terrifying and hilarious, the film is carried by the duality between Teller and Simmons as their personalities explode off the screen.

From a musically technical perspective, the film is absolutely superb. Using a combination of real musicians and actors, the director films all of the musical sequences with such a fondness for the subject.

 

Not quite my tempo

Along with The Lego Movie, being left out of the Animated Feature category, as is always the case, a number of critically acclaimed films have been (wrongfully) overlooked for Best Picture. No sign of a nomination for Nighcrawler or Jake Gyllenhaal’s lead performance. Where’s David Fincher’s Gone Girl nomination? Nothing for any of the actors in Selma. Nothing for Tim Burton’s Big Eyes or Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. Darren Aronofsky’s Noah is absent from all categories. This being especially shocking in the Music category, as Clint Mansell’s phenomenal original score has got to be the finest of the season.

Despite all of these oversights, the biggest surprise for me is Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher not finding its way into the best picture category. With nominations for Best Director, Best Actor in both a leading and supporting role for Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo, I can’t understand why Foxcatcher has been left aside. Of the four biographical films in the best picture category (The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Selma and American Sniper) I definitely feel Foxcatcher is the superior film.

Knowing nothing about the bizarre tale, based on actual events, I found the film to be intensely sinister, suspenseful and incredibly engaging throughout. Steve Carell completely reinvents himself through a masterful transformation into the troubled, eccentric multimillionaire John E. du Pont. Along with Channing Tatum’s understated role as Mark Schultz, the subject of du Pont’s fascination, the entire film has an air of unease and dread surrounding it, making Foxcatcher one of the most captivating watches of the awards season.

The Bookies Theory of Everything

Unfortunately no-one from the Academy consulted me this year regarding any of the nominations. I must say, I was disappointed not to be asked for my input. 2015 may be a surprising year, and the Oscars may go down a completely different route than the Golden Globes or the BAFTA’s. Who knows? Until then, the closest idea we have of which film / actor / actress will go home with the prestige is a culmination of various odds from numerous online betting shops. The academy may be bang on the money, they may agree with me or they may go in a different direction completely. Until then. Here’s who is tipped to win, and here’s who should win.

Best Picture

Favourite: Boyhood

Paul’s Pick: Whiplash

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Favourite: Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Paul’s Pick: Steve Carell – Foxcatcher

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Favourite: Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Paul’s Pick: Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Favourite: J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Paul’s Pick – J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Favourite: Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

Paul’s Pick: Keira Knightly – The Imitation Game

Best Director

Favourite: Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Paul’s Pick: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman

 

 

 
If Whiplash wins, I’ll buy you all a pint.