IndieWire ranks the Cohen Bros. Movies

[easy75]

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-films-of-the-coen-brothers-ranked-from-worst-to-best-20141129

Any Cohen Bros fans out there? I ran across this in my browsing and figured I would share it. I definitely do not agree with the placement of a lot of the movies on the list, but it might be that my favorites are not the most technically credible of their movies. If anyone cares, let me know what you think.

[Pompey Bum]

I loved Fargo. It was frightening and funny, exceptionally well acted, and had something to say about the choices people make between good and evil. Ja? Oh jaaaaaaaaaa!

I also thought that O Brother Where Art Thou was okay in a goofy comic book kind of a way. The music was fun (I remember when my grandparents from Iowa used to listen to that stuff). I liked the Homer character in the self-propelled railway car, and the blues singer who was a composite of Robert Johnson and Skip James. The rest of the story was more or less Amos and Andy with white people, but it was funny enough. (Gopher, Everett?) Now that I think of it, O Brother Where Art Thou and Fargo could both be seen as lampoons of white American culture. Blood Simple, too, maybe, although I don't quite remember. That was a long time ago.

We had a long discussion about No Country for Old Men on the Future Classics thread (as we discussed McCarthy's book). I was more or less alone in not liking either one all that much, although both were okay. (I had the weird experience of reading the book on a long plane flight, then watching the movie later on the same flight).

If I were to choose my favorites, I would say Fargo, Blood Simple, and O Brother, in that order. But I haven't seen all of them. These days I don't plunk down cash money for movies, so if it's not on the back of the seat in front of me, I probably haven't seen it.

[easy75]

I loved Fargo. It was frightening and funny, exceptionally well acted, and had something to say about the choices people make between good and evil. Ja? Oh jaaaaaaaaaa!

I thought also thought that O Brother Where Art Thou was okay in a goofy comic book kind of a way. The music was fun (I remember when my grandparents from Iowa used to listen to that stuff). I liked the Homer character in the self-propelled railway car, and the blues singer who was a composite of Robert Johnson and Skip James. The rest of the story was more or less Amos and Andy with white people, but it was funny enough. (Gopher, Everett?) Now that I think of it, O Brother Where Art Thou and Fargo could both be seen as lampoons of white American culture. Blood Simple, too, maybe, although I don't quite remember. That was a long time ago.

We had a long discussion about No Country for Old Men on the Future Classics thread (as we discussed McCarthy's book). I was more or less alone in not liking either one all that much, although both were okay. (I had the weird experience of reading the book on a long plane flight, then watching the movie later on the same flight).

If I were to choose my favorites, I would say Fargo, Blood Simple, and O Brother, in that order. But I haven't seen all of them. These days I don't plunk down cash money for movies, so if it's not on the back of the seat in front of me, I probably haven't seen it.

That might be the best summary of O Brother I have ever read. Amos and Andy for white people. Lol (for real)
I'll have to go back and check out that McCarthy discussion...
That sounds like a brutally bleak flight.... But, that's sort of like disliking cocaine because you almost OD'd the first time you tried it. Or something like that.

I am a pretty big fan of their stuff. The most glaring errors from that list (for me) were True Grit being listed as their worst movie (?!), and Millers Crossing not being in the top five. True Grit is a true modern masterpiece. Maybe the most well acted movie I've ever seen, and so true to the excellent book by Charles Portis. Don't take my word though. It was nominated for ten academy awards including all the major ones (though it didn't win any).
My top five would probably go True Grit, No Country, Fargo, Millers Crossing, Blood Simple.

Fargo was super, a reminder to people to think long and hard before crossing lines.
blood simple was a classic. I saw it when I was way too young and it made a lasting impression on me, probably for the worse.

[Pompey Bum]

That sounds like a brutally bleak flight....

You're not kidding. Midway across the Pacific I was praying the guy next to me was a shoe bomber...

[Sarabande]

I absolutely LOVE the Coen Brothers, but I disagree with that list. Enjoyed the article though. I would rate their films thus:

1. "The Man Who Wasn't There": absolutely STUNNING. The cinematography of Roger Deakins took me right back to Karl Freund, Karl Struss, Roland Totheroh and the very distinguised European cinematographers of an earlier time. I adored the film, it's anarchic but somewhat muted noir world view and the music of Beethoven!! The quiet humour and wonderful performances make this film a stand-out in Coen lore.

2. "The Big Lebowski". It's difficult NOT to like this anarchic cult classic about 3 down-and-outers and their fascination with Ten Pin Bowling. Lots of references to Howard Hawks (the tumbleweed of the opening credits and the character of "Dude", just to name two). The two majors are simply stunning and there are totally unforgettable scenes and one-liners we still quote in our family...."It's not going to take your turn Dude...I'm not going to rent it (the dog) shoes"; "my buddies didn't die face down in the slime in 'Nam for this"; "when we've finished with the, er, what have you"; "that rug really tied the room together did it not?"; "you can say what you like about the tenants of National Socialism, Dude - at least it was an ethos"...and the words from the musical sequence....."to see what condition my condition was in".

Some I cannot quote because they are so profane and I could have done without the industrial strength profanity.

3. "No Country for Old Men"; classic Hitchcock, totally thrilling, edge-of-the-seat experience with an unsettling ending.

4. "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?". Hilarious!! Every frame a joy.

[Lokasenna]

True Grit their worst film? Really? It's certainly in the top five. My number one choice would probably be A Serious Man, which may even be my favourite film altogether, with Fargo, No Country, and Barton Fink in close running.

[Clopin]

Fargo is the only one I liked a whole lot, I've seen no country, lebowski, burn after reading, millers crossing and that one with Tom Hanks... I didn't dislike any of them except Millers Crossing.