Drama > Coen, Joel Drama

Murder and blackmail Coen-style

Advantages: Superb acting, both tragic and blackly funny
Disadvantages: None

...I at least remember what the plot is. One thing I could remember about it was that it was directed by the Coen brothers, and although I have watched one or two bad Coen films, they are generally pretty good. So I decided to give it another try. Thank goodness I did. I'm not sure whether I was drunk the first time I watched it or what, but this is a film that I really enjoyed and thought had some superb performances. The plot Ed Crane is a barber ...
...a barber; he fell into the job after marrying his wife, whose father owned a barber shop. His life should be good, but there is something missing and his wife, Doris, is having an affair with her boss. When Ed is given the opportunity to invest some money in an enterprise, he is determined to raise the money. His first port of call is his wife's boss, Big Dave, whom he successfully blackmails to the tune of $10,000. All seems to be going swimmingly; ...

sunmeilan 15.11.2006 · Read full review
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Review of The Man Who Wasn't There (DVD)

Fargo - A very dark comedy

Advantages: Very good performances and darkly funny
Disadvantages: Some of the characters are a little one dimensional

Fargo is a Coen brothers' film starring Frances McDormand, William H Macy and Steve Buscemi. Set in snowy Minneapolis it follows the stories of debt-crippled car dealer Jerry Lundegaard and heavily pregnant rural cop Marge Gunderson as the two characters' lives become intertwined by some hapless hitmen. GOOD POINTS Fargo is a difficult film to categorise as it has elements of a number of different genres such as film noir, hard boiled thriller, black ...
...the stereotypical Slavic hitman who feels like a bit of a poorly thought through late addition to the plot. Buscemi is at his weasely best as the slightly inept hitman who quickly comes unstuck. All in all, Fargo is a quirky darkly comic thriller that I would definitely watch again. ...

jesperado77 24.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Fargo (Special Edition) (DVD)

A Coen Brothers classic

Advantages: Story and actors
Disadvantages: none

...years and their 1996 film, Fargo is definitely one of those films. Fargo is set in Fargo, North Dakota and is about a car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H Macy), with severe financial problems, who arranges for two men to kidnap his wife for $80,000 and force his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell) to pay a $1 million ransom. Jerry plans to use the remaining money to pay his debts. However the kidnapping does not go to plan as the ...
...Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), end up committing an unplanned murder. The local police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), who is heavily pregnant, investigates the murders as she discovers the bigger scheme. This is a wonderful film from Joel and Ethan Coen, who have written and directed a superb story. Frances McDormand is great as the quirky and meticulous police chief, with a performance that richly deserved her Best Actress Oscar. The Coen ...

mozzie76 07.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Fargo (DVD)

SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE.

Advantages: An excellent first fim from Steven Soderbergh.
Disadvantages: Slow paced.

- SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE - Released in 1989, Sex, Lies, and Videotape is an Independent film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring James Spader (Secretary), Peter Gallagher (The OC) San Giacomo, and Andie MacDowell. Genre Drama. BBFC Rating: 18. RunningTime: One hour 35 Minutes.- Ann Milaney (Andie MacDowell) lives a suburban life in Louisiana, married to lawyer husband John (Peter Gallagher). She lives a comfortable existence, though she is ...
...collection of videos.- Sex, lies and videotape is quite well summed up by the film title. It is a clever, intelligent film from Steven Soderbergh. Basically 'Sex, Lies and Video Tape' is a tale of voyeurism and infidelity, feelings and relationships. Quietly spoken and beautifully shot, the film is a story of personalities and feelings, and all four characters intertwine and interconnect in a bizarre series of events, culminating in an obvious outcome ...

Morning_Becomes_Electra 07.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Sex, Lies And Videotape (DVD)

A mans life needs at least 1 hour of our time

Advantages: Cleverly worked out
Disadvantages: Not action packed - some might find boring

BEWARE! THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS AND PLOTLINE! THE STORY The story starts with a young man of 18 on trial in court for murder. His life is in the hands of the jury of 12 men. If he is found guilty, he will be executed. All 12 must agree on a verdict. We learn that the boy is accused of killing his father. The father hit the young boy frequently and the prosecution see this as the motive. A witness who lived opposite boy and the father ...
...knife and an old man living below said that he heard the boy shout "I'm gonna kill you" before he heard something fall to the floor above. The old man ran to his door and says that he saw the boy running away. However, the boy says that he was at the cinema during the stabbing and did not return until 3 hours later where upon he was arrested. The men go into a room to decide if the boy is guilty or not. The men decide to take a preliminary vote. ...

rufusredcoat 31.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Twelve Angry Men (DVD)