Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

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I always distrust my first reactions to the Coens’ work, because so often they subvert my expectations and it’s hard to have a clear-eyed view of any of their films on first viewing. That said, sometimes you can just tell when a movie will grow on you, and a couple weeks after seeing this one, I think it’s safe to say this is one of those times. Oscar Isaac stars as the title character, a folk singer in early-1960s New York, who is trying to make a name for himself while his personal life crumbles. As has become custom for the Coens, especially since No Country for Old Men, the story unfolds in ways that are unexpected and unsettling and navigates through some difficult emotional terrain. I think a lot of people (like myself) who wonder if their life is on the right track will have some emotional scabs picked by the film, even if they (like myself) don’t see a ton of direct parallels between themselves and Llewyn in terms of personality or disposition. Isaac is terrific in his role, and again as usual for the Coens, the film is populated by rich supporting characters. That said, this film is most unusual for the Coens in some key ways; they’ve never made a movie soaked like this one in such clear empathy for their characters. Though their films usually have very rich emotional currents, those emotions tend to be observed from a distance instead of closely felt, but that’s not the case here. In fact, the weakest aspect of the movie might be the overtly Coen-ish humor, often leading to punchlines that don’t quite seem properly timed or otherwise seem emotionally out of place. It’s an interesting development for the brothers, and I’ll be interested to see how this carries forward into their future work. I’m sure that either way, they’ll keep me off my toes. 9/10

No Country for Old Men (2007)

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The Coens won a Best Picture Oscar for this film, an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel by the same name about Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who steals a load of money from drug dealers and is pursued by murderous cartel enforcer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem, who won an Oscar for his performance). This is the bleakest and least obviously comic movie the Coens had made since their debut Blood Simple, but it’s much more foreboding than that film and takes a much more fractured approach to the narrative (which no doubt has roots in the source material). Tommy Lee Jones also stars in the film as Ed Tom Bell, a small-town Texas sheriff who is one of the most interesting characters in the Coen oeuvre, having long become overwhelmed by hideous crimes he deals with – or at least hears about – in his job. His purpose in the plot is something like a Greek chorus, although he’s also the movie’s conscience, an interesting aspect given his passivity. I also like Kelly Macdonald as Llewelyn’s wife, the most sympathetic character in the film. Despite the movie’s 1980s setting, I see the film as the first movie in an unofficial trilogy by the Coens (along with Burn After Reading and A Serious Man) that dealt with life during the George Bush years in America, and in that light, it plays like a metaphor about the unchecked arrogance of American foreign policy. Llewelyn’s actions set off a chain reaction of circumstances that he cannot control despite his blithely naive self-confidence, and his actions lead not only to his downfall but endangers those around him in ways that can only be considered willingly neglectful. It’s a chilling tale even taken on face value, but I think the Coens capture the fearfulness of those who opposed American involvement in the Middle East and the unforeseen and willingly ignored consequences that seemed likely to result. Whatever the future holds, you can’t stop what’s coming. 9/10

A Serious Man (2009)

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“Accept the mystery,” Larry Gopnik is told, in what could be described as this film’s guiding ethos. Larry is a Jewish college professor (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) living in a Minneapolis suburb sometime in the 1960s, and what he thought to be a happy and successful life is crumbling around him. His wife is wants a divorce, he’s having troubles at work just as his tenure application is being considered, his socially inept brother has moved in and has a habit of causing the cops to show up, and God only knows what his kids are up to. Up against it, Larry’s natural instinct is to seek the wisdom of the rabbis for guidance, wondering why he’s been targeted for this misery. This is one of the most archly funny of the Coens’ films, harkening back to Fargo in the way it takes perverse pleasure in watching the best-laid plans of its characters fall apart in an avalanche of futility, but this is perhaps an even better film than that masterpiece as it’s more existential and unsettling. Unlike Jerry Lundegaard, Larry is not a bumbling idiot but actually something close to what he believes himself to be: a serious man. So then, while Jerry’s bad fortune was easy to explain and even deserved, Larry’s troubles are more mysterious and seemingly random. This capped off an extraordinary run that the Coens had during the end of the first decade of the new millenium, in which they made three films that struck at the uneasiness and anxiety at the heart of the American experience of the time. It openly asks how “serious” American middle-class priorities can really be considered to be. If the film’s ominous ending gives any clue to the answer, it’s “not so much.” 10/10

True Grit (2010)

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The Coens’ latest is a remake of the 1969 film that won John Wayne an Oscar, and which is unseen by me. This version stars Jeff Bridges as ‘Rooster’ Cogburn, a U.S. Marshal employed by young Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) to track down the man who shot her pa. Matt Damon’s also along for the ride as LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger also in pursuit of the killer. There are a lot of things I enjoyed about the movie, but what stands out most especially are the performances by Steinfeld and Damon. Steinfeld is amazing as a precocious fourteen-year-old who is wise beyond her years and unafraid to butt heads with just about anyone, but is also frightened and vulnerable in her experience. Damon, meanwhile, creates a very funny character from a role that, on the page, could have been taken very seriously if the filmmakers were so inclined (fat chance). The meat of the film, with these three on the trail, is terrifically entertaining. The film has its flaws, though, most notably an awkward beginning and an epilogue that doesn’t seem like it’s from the same film. I can easily recommend the movie, but my initial reaction – like with all Coen films, subject to revision – is that this doesn’t quite hit the mark as solidly as No Country for Old Men or A Serious Man among their recent efforts. 8/10

Burn After Reading (2008)

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The Coen brothers followed their Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men with this gruesome farce about the entanglements of various D.C. residents after a disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent (John Malkovich) is found by two dim-witted gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt). The brothers take a little time to set up all of the characters, but once the introductions are out of the way, the movie gains a rather extraordinary momentum. Upon release, the film was largely dismissed – even among its supporters – as a minor Coen work, but viewed again I think it holds up terrifically well. Obviously the dark humor isn’t for everyone, but the entire ensemble cast is perfect, with terrific comic performances not just from Pitt, McDormand and Malkovich, but also George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, and JK Simmons. I also think it’s one of the Coens’ angriest films, as if this tale of nitwit capitol intrigue was inspired by the embarrassing intelligence failures the country experienced during the decade of the 2000s. 9/10