Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

[Canofceleri]

 

I'd like to do a thread each week or two for discussion on established directors and the films to their credit. There are some filmmakers, a special breed, that enjoy both critical and commercial success. The Coen brothers seems like a great place to start with their highly varied output throughout three decades of consistently great films.

 

 

Coen Brothers on Wikipedia

Joel and Ethan on IMDb.

 

My first exposure to them was probably Fargo which many consider their best film (as I did at one time). Of course everyone has their favorites from them. The Big Lebowski seems to enjoy quite the cult status these days with even festivals about the movie. I always considered the movie very entertaining, though probably not on the top of my list. I definitely haven't seen all their films, even some of their most lauded like Miller's Crossing which is probably regrettable on my part. I definitely shouldn't watched that instead of their Raising Arizona which I very much dislike. Barton Fink, which I guess could be considered one of their earlier films, I thought was pretty great with excellent performances all around.

 

I guess I could order them like this, perhaps:

 

Raising Arizona - C

Barton Fink - B+

Fargo - A

The Big Lebowski - B-

No Country for Old Men - A-

Burn After Reading - C+

A Serious Man - A+

 

 

 

 

Which brings me to my final point here. I was very surprised by how much I like A Serious Man. In fact, I still am as I find myself watching it over and again, probably about 7 or 8 times by now. And each time, by the end of it, I'm blown away by how really perfect a movie it is. It is the Coen brothers in finest form, so many themes are expressed in a modestly sized film and done so with excellent pacing within a great structure. It is them are their most economical and the substance is definitely there. To me, it is pitch perfect, which I guess is why I keep revisiting it.

 

How about you? I know we got a lot of fans in the building.

 

 

[Vanilla Shake]

I love these guys. I honestly believe that The Big Lebowski is the funniest god damn film I have ever seen and is one of my all time favorites. Fargo is f*cking phenomenal, as is No Country for Old Men. I still haven't seen A Serious Man yet though. I'm gonna have to now.

[Mike Tequeli]

I haven't seen Miller's Crossing either but I really intend to because of how well regarded it is.

[darthYENIK]

It's so weird, how I realized how awesome these guys were. I've seen Pretty much every movie they've done, but a lot of the time I didn't know they were made by them. As in I'd seen Raising Arizona and then I saw The Big Lebowski, and had no idea they were made by the same people, but loved both. Then I saw O Brother Where Art Thou, and Fargo, and Miller's Crossing, not really looking into who made them. But then one day, it clicked, and I realized that a sh*t ton of my favorite movies were made by the Coens.

 

I'm going to have to say, the Hudsucker Proxy is one of those movies that really blew my mind, the same people who wrote and directed Fargo did the Hudsucker Proxy.

[Fnorg]

They're incredibly awesome guys. There's been a few flicks I haven't been able to get in to, but overall they're mad awesome.

 

Anybody else stoked about True Grit?

[darthYENIK]

They're incredibly awesome guys. There's been a few flicks I haven't been able to get in to, but overall they're mad awesome.

 

Anybody else stoked about True Grit?

Holy f*ck yes. When I first heard about it, I thought, how can they replace John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn? But then I heard Jeff Bridges was going to play him, and I was sold. Bridges looks particularly badass with an eye patch.

[Lithium]

I really liked The Lady Killers, as well as O Brother Where Art Though? They are definitely a couple of talented guys. I still need to see The Big Lebowski though, and I know you guys will probably think I'm retarded for not having seen it yet

[Ottae]

I love the Coen Brothers! Every film I've seen by them has been outstanding, and all are considered favourites of mine:

 

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being amazing, 5 being mind-blowing.

 

Burn After Reading: 3

Millers Crossing: 4

Fargo: 5

No Country for Old Men: 5

Raising Arizona: 2

The Big Lebowski: 4

 

I've got O Brother Where Art Though waiting to be watched. All the films get better on every watch.

 

The Coen Brothers are definitely in my top 5 favourite film makers.