"I feel sorry for little babies…when a little baby is born into this cold world, he's confused! He's frightened! He needs something to cheer him up…the way I see it, as soon as a baby is born, he should be issued a banjo!
- Charles M. Schultz
Some movie-talker on Substack recently listed his first to last Coen Brothers' movies. Of course, he got it all wrong. I'll help him out. I worship at the alter of the Coens. They've whiffed on a few of their films, but even at their okay-est, they're still interesting.
What I love most about their work is their quirky, odd characters, even the small inconsequential ones. They're memorable, every one. They have a Flannery O'Connor eye for detail when it comes to drawing characters. It's no surprise that her writings influenced their style.
So, let me help this guy out and give you the real Top-10 list. Debate is alway welcomed and encouraged.
10. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
9. Blood Simple
8. O Brother Where Art Thou?
7. The Big Lebowski
6. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. A Simple Man
4. No Country For Old Men
3. Raising Arizona
2. Fargo
1. True Grit (Remake)
We have to thank the Coens, too (and T. Bone Burnett), for shining a light on traditional music and popularizing it among an un-edified segment of folks (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)