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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 23, 2021 2:40:38 GMT
Finally checked out the latest Coen Brothers film, a surprisingly sombre Western Anthology.
First off, this is possibly their most beautifully shot film. An amazing hyper real picture book look to a lot of it, especially some of the segment opening tableaus.
Not sure how it worked overall. I wouldn’t say it was a “mixed bag” as the quality was relatively consistent, I didn’t dislike any of the episodes, but I didn’t love any of them either.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: The most fun of the stories, really the only one that had any (overt) humor. The difference in tone of this opening episode may have hindered the project overall. It also felt a little rushed and ended too abruptly.
Near Algodones: I liked this but again it was too short and ended too suddenly, though I am aware that was part of the conceit of the film overall. Arguably the only story that may have been able to work as a full feature.
Meal Ticket: Maybe the most visually beautiful but by far the bleakest. Probably the bleakest thing the Coens have done.
All Gold Canyon: Really liked the slow contemplative tone of this part and the prospector was my favorite character of the bunch. More gorgeous landscape cinematography also.
The Gal Who Got Rattled: The most fully fleshed out story and the one I was most emotionally invested in. Arguably too long but it didn’t bother me and I wish the earlier two tales had given me a little more time with the characters.
Mortal Remains: A nice capper that reminded me of the opening of The Hateful Eight via an episode of The Twilight Zone and hammers home the major theme of the film.
[tl;dr]: Don’t know if I can quite rank the vignettes, but I did prefer the latter three.
Overall I‘d currently put it as mid-tier Coens, which is still much better than a lot of the stuff that passes as cinema these days.
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Post by moviemouth on Jan 23, 2021 3:14:03 GMT
One of my favorite Coen brothers movies.
Refreshingly unique. I love gallows humor and this movie is filled to the brim.
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Post by sdrew13163 on Jan 23, 2021 4:21:59 GMT
I love this movie (8.5/10).
The Gal Who Got Rattled is my favorite.
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Post by Marv on Jan 23, 2021 16:16:08 GMT
I liked the general vibe of the Buster Scruggs story...but overall the lack of actual fun in the later stories kind of turned me off.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 24, 2021 1:58:35 GMT
I liked the general vibe of the Buster Scruggs story...but overall the lack of actual fun in the later stories kind of turned me off. I thought that the tone of the first story my have set up certain expectations that the later ones didn't meet.
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Post by moviemouth on Jan 24, 2021 2:11:04 GMT
I liked the general vibe of the Buster Scruggs story...but overall the lack of actual fun in the later stories kind of turned me off. I thought that the tone of the first story my have set up certain expectations that the later ones didn't meet. Part of the reason it didn't throw me off is because I just went with it and I think if all the segments were like the first it would have gotten old quite fast. The silly humor of the first segment is very fun for that segment, but I like the more dark subtle humor combined with drama and more of an authentic western feel in the segments after that. In part because I like the Coens best went they don't go full comedy.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 24, 2021 7:43:04 GMT
I thought that the tone of the first story my have set up certain expectations that the later ones didn't meet. Part of the reason it didn't throw me off is because I just went with it and I think if all the segments were like the first it would have gotten old quite fast. The silly humor of the first segment is very fun for that segment, but I like the more dark subtle humor combined with drama and more of an authentic western feel in the segments after that. In part because I like the Coens best went they don't go full comedy. Agree, the first tale while fun was one of the (relatively) weaker ones. I don't think it would've worked placed anywhere else either. I prefer the Coens in more serious mode also.
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Post by OldSamVimes on Jan 24, 2021 13:29:32 GMT
I liked the frying pan guy and the great song while the title character floats into the sky.
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Post by hi224 on Jan 24, 2021 13:46:56 GMT
Finally checked out the latest Coen Brothers film, a surprisingly sombre Western Anthology. First off, this is possibly their most beautifully shot film. An amazing hyper real picture book look to a lot of it, especially some of the segment opening tableaus. Not sure how it worked overall. I wouldn’t say it was a “mixed bag” as the quality was relatively consistent, I didn’t dislike any of the episodes, but I didn’t love any of them either. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: The most fun of the stories, really the only one that had any (overt) humor. The difference in tone of this opening episode may have hindered the project overall. It also felt a little rushed and ended too abruptly. Near Algodones: I liked this but again it was too short and ended too suddenly, though I am aware that was part of the conceit of the film overall. Arguably the only story that may have been able to work as a full feature. Meal Ticket: Maybe the most visually beautiful but by far the bleakest. Probably the bleakest thing the Coens have done. All Gold Canyon: Really liked the slow contemplative tone of this part and the prospector was my favorite character of the bunch. More gorgeous landscape cinematography also. The Gal Who Got Rattled: The most fully fleshed out story and the one I was most emotionally invested in. Arguably too long but it didn’t bother me and I wish the earlier two tales had given me a little more time with the characters. Mortal Remains: A nice capper that reminded me of the opening of The Hateful Eight via an episode of The Twilight Zone and hammers home the major theme of the film. [tl;dr]: Don’t know if I can quite rank the vignettes, but I did prefer the latter three. Overall I‘d currently put it as mid-tier Coens, which is still much better than a lot of the stuff that passes as cinema these days. It's notable how feasibly every single one of the stories could invariably work as singular stories removed from the western genre as a whole with exception regarding Scruggs and Near. Both feel like consummate western fables ingriated within the Western genre, whereas the other fables have a rather timeless quality where you could set meal ticket within an urban sprawl or Gal who got rattled within the wilderness and they could feasibly still work, far removed from this genre as well. |
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Post by Vits on Jan 24, 2021 13:59:47 GMT
I give it a 6/10.
THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS > THE MORTAL REMAINS > ALL GOLD CANYON > NEAR ALGODONES > MEAL TICKET > THE GAL WHO RATTLED
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Jan 24, 2021 14:00:28 GMT
I loved all of them except maybe the last one.
One of the few Netflix films I want to see again.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2021 14:21:17 GMT
A modern Americana akin to Aesop’s Fables.
It’s vastly underrated.
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Post by hi224 on Jan 24, 2021 14:25:43 GMT
I give it a 6/10. THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS > THE MORTAL REMAINS > ALL GOLD CANYON > NEAR ALGODONES > MEAL TICKET > THE GAL WHO RATTLED Elaborate. |
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Jan 24, 2021 14:31:04 GMT
I liked the general vibe of the Buster Scruggs story...but overall the lack of actual fun in the later stories kind of turned me off. It didn't really occur to me that it was a comedy because the opening scene was pretty dark and violent. It felt like a Fargo kind of thing and the stories got progressively darker and the film went on so I accounted for that. It felt like all of the Coen tropes were bundled into one film. I think it would have been better as an actual anthology series in order to flesh out the shorter ones and edit the longer ones.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 24, 2021 22:04:37 GMT
Finally checked out the latest Coen Brothers film, a surprisingly sombre Western Anthology. [tl;dr]: Don’t know if I can quite rank the vignettes, but I did prefer the latter three. Overall I‘d currently put it as mid-tier Coens, which is still much better than a lot of the stuff that passes as cinema these days. It's notable how feasibly every single one of the stories could invariably work as singular stories removed from the western genre as a whole with exception regarding Scruggs and Near. Both feel like consummate western fables ingriated within the Western genre, whereas the other fables have a rather timeless quality where you could set meal ticket within an urban sprawl or Gal who got rattled within the wilderness and they could feasibly still work, far removed from this genre as well. True, the first two are very much rooted in the western genre.
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 24, 2021 22:09:18 GMT
I liked the general vibe of the Buster Scruggs story...but overall the lack of actual fun in the later stories kind of turned me off. It didn't really occur to me that it was a comedy because the opening scene was pretty dark and violent. It felt like a Fargo kind of thing and the stories got progressively darker and the film went on so I accounted for that. It felt like all of the Coen tropes were bundled into one film. I think it would have been better as an actual anthology series in order to flesh out the shorter ones and edit the longer ones. All good points.
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Post by bravomailer on Jan 24, 2021 22:16:36 GMT
The story is told with camera work and motion. Very little dialog. Tom Waits was the prospector.  |
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Post by Fox in the Snow on Jan 24, 2021 22:40:33 GMT
The story is told with camera work and motion. Very little dialog. There was an almost "slow cinema" vibe to it. Spare dialogue, a slight plot slowing unfolding, a connection to the natural world.
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Post by Vits on Jan 25, 2021 10:01:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2021 1:00:46 GMT
The Gal Who Got Rattled was my favorite.
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