Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefspants
To borrow one of your phrases I’ve seen you use, do you think the Coen’s get too attached to the “smell of their own farts” at times? You used the phrase to describe Ad Astra and in some of the Coen brothers work I don’t care for seems to fall into that category.
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Maybe. Probably. Sometimes they just seem cute to be cute.
I feel like Peter Griffin here (though of course, not in relation to the Godfather...because jesus christ, who doesn't like The Godfather?)
I just want to sit here and smugly and nonsensically say "They insist upon themselves..." and not even know what I really mean by that.
I really came to the conclusion during Burn After Reading. I just got done with it and watched a PILE of incredible actors just be shoved into weird parts that didn't suit them and thought "well ****, Coens, how'd you manage to make this so bizarrely unlikeable? Why'd you have to Coen it up?"
They just had to make it a 'Coen' property. That's why Hail Caesar failed so badly - same problem.
They're better when they're taking on harder, more 'serious' stuff, IMO. And maybe I'm in BL's camp of just not having seen TBL enough to appreciate it like I should, but in contrast to Raising Arizona where they nailed the humor, I don't see why I should have to watch it 5 times to accept it's greatness.
Some folks just fall in love with what makes them well known. Cruise did it for a bit, Denzel did as well; both guys spent a decade kinda playing themselves in slightly different places. Then Johnny Depp spent his entire latter career playing Captain Jack Sparrow. M. Night Shyamalan's goofy twist shit is the first example to come to mind with directors but Nolan's timeline things make his movies decidedly 'Nolan' movies as well (though I like just about everything he's done). Sometimes people fall in love with their brand and steer hard into it a little too much.
I dunno - they just don't quite hit the mark for me most of the time.