If you were hoping that Ethan Coen’s first narrative film as a director without his brother, Joel, was going to be worthwhile, consider those hopes dashed.
Drive-Away Dolls is a rushed, sloppy story that offers a few laughs, but ultimately shows Ethan might need a couple more solo efforts under his belt before hitting his stride.
The film offers hints of the brilliance and comedic edge that have propelled the Coen brothers’ movies through the decades, but the overall experience is grating.
Joel made a great movie by himself with The Tragedy of Macbeth. After watching Drive-Away Dolls, I have an idea where the true visionary strengths are coming from in the Coen partnership.
A “lesbian road trip comedy” starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, the film starts with a character played by one of the world’s biggest movie stars dying a disturbing, violent death. Things progress into some nonsense involving severed heads, dildos and Matt Damon. Ethan Coen’s directorial style can best be described as frantic, with his film clocking in at a meager 84 minutes. He needs to calm down.
There are a lot of sex scenes, with most of them played for laughs—unsuccessfully. In fact, I’d call a couple of them—especially one involving Qualley’s character and a newly acquired dildo—unsettling and about as erotic as a piece of slightly burnt toast landing on your kitchen floor, buttered side down.
The film is not a total loss. Beanie Feldstein is very funny in a small role as a jilted cop. A scene where she kicks somebody’s ass while being interrogated is probably the best in the movie. Joey Slotnick is OK in what basically amounts to the Steve Buscemi role in Fargo, and occasional sequences have some pop to them. But overall, it’s a botch job.
There are rumors, as well as real words from recent interviews with Ethan, indicating that he and his brother will make movies together again. I certainly hope so, because this (the first in a proposed trilogy) is the first film directed by a Coen brother that I didn’t like.
Drive-Away Dolls is playing at theaters across the valley.
