If you had told me ten years ago that the prolific directing duo behind hits like Fargo and No Country For Old Men would eventually split up, it already would’ve been difficult to believe you. If you had then told me that one of them was going to direct and write a black-and-white adaptation of Shakespeare while the other would direct and co-write a lesbian sex comedy and heist movie, I would have simply called you a fool. If you had then gone on to say that the former would be one of the best films of its year while the other would be a far cry from the same quality, I simply would’ve spit in your drink.
However, similar to the protagonists in Drive-Away Dolls, we somehow made it down this long, weird road and, while we’re smiling because it happened, we’re still befuddled by the outcome. It was only natural for the Coen brothers to drift apart and pursue their own projects (only to inevitably come back together), and it was even more natural for both of them to stay in the duo’s long-trodden lane of crime capers.
Joel Coen wowed everyone with his intensely stylized take on the Scottish play, where the duo’s deadpan comedy was traded for searing drama but the exploration of guilt, violence, and familial squabbling held firm. Ethan Coen made a crime film much more in the vein of his previous works, this time alongside wife and co-writer Tricia Cooke, but his attempts at style are only half-formed; there’s a lack of punch in the film’s sexual stylings that will leave Coen fans laughing but longing.
The story sees two friends, sexually gregarious southerner Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and modest bookworm Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), who hit the road to Tallahassee, Florida. Marian is going to visit her conservative aunt, and Jamie is looking to get laid along the way. They rent a car for the trip but, unbeknownst to them, the vehicle has already been tapped to transport valuables for a group of criminals (led by Colman Domingo).
What exactly they’re lugging around is best kept secret, however, it does slowly unravel into an inexplicable and hilarious scandal that, at least in content, lives up to the movie’s raunchy aspirations (the film was originally titled Drive-Away Dykes). Though it struggles to grasp the viewers’ attention with vague and coded build-up, the reveal is well worth the weight and eventually hits thanks to a blissful 84-minute runtime.
However, for such hilarious material, everything around it is mild at best. The film’s cinematography is conventional with only occasional flourishes of style, from psychedelic cutaways to kooky transitions between scenes. Its color palette is neutral despite colorful production and costume design and even the aforementioned psychedelia, dripping with swirly rainbows.
Even the film’s performances, an always notable piece of the Coens’ alchemy, are uneven. Qualley and Viswanathan have good chemistry, both in and out of bed, but lack a command over the material (Qualley’s accent notwithstanding). C. J. Wilson and Joey Slotnick play a pair of mobsters on their tail and they themselves are funny but not especially interesting characters. Some understand the assignment, though; Domingo is hamming it up and Beanie Feldstein, untraditionally on the sideline here, goes apeshit to great effect. Pedro Pascal, though also fun, is only featured briefly despite being heavily marketed for obvious reasons.
It makes for a bizarre effect where the film itself is hilarious enough out of sheer absurdity to recommend, but it struggles to maintain consistency or even scratch at a deeper meaning. It’s an entertaining watch and even reaches its potential in its third act, where the antics reach maximum inanity. It also posits a quality romance between its two leads as their walls come down. However, it’s only by the time the credits roll that all of this feels realized enough to work off of. It’s good to see Ethan Coen striking out on his own, but it’s no surprise the two will be working together again soon.
Drive-Away Dolls is now playing exclusively in theaters courtesy of Focus Features.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy0RYiQRWUk]
Director: Ethan Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Rated: R
Runtime: 84m
Ethan Coen strikes out on his own with a hilariously raunchy but altogether understylized and underbaked lesbian crime caper.
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GVN Rating
Larry Fried is a filmmaker, writer, and podcaster based in New Jersey. He is the host and creator of the podcast “My Favorite Movie is…,” a podcast dedicated to helping filmmakers make somebody’s next favorite movie. He is also the Visual Content Manager for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization dedicated to competition and training opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Garden State.
