The Coen brothers have made their own movies while on their brief hiatus, and the differences betweenDrive-Away DollsandThe Tragedy of Macbethcould reveal a lot about their artistic sensibilities. The Coen brothers have been working together since the 1980s, delivering classics such asNo Country for Old Men, Fargoand many more. They haven’t worked separately until recently, so it’s been difficult to figure out which brother is bringing what to their collaborations.
Released in February 2024,Drive-Away Dollsis a lesbian road trip comedy directed by Ethan Coen, which he co-wrote with his wife Tricia Cooke.Drive-Away Dollstreads some familiar territory, as it seems to refer back to older Coen brothers classics likeThe Big LebowskiandRaising Arizona.However, there’s also a lot that makes it stand out.Drive-Away Dollshas been described as a Coen brothers movie with Joel’s influences taken out. TheCoen brothers are set to reunitefor a horror movie, but their solo work has revealed a lot about them.
9The Buddy Elements Seem To Be Ethan’s Input
Drive-Away Dolls Is All About Friendship And Love
Drive-Away Dollsis a road trip movie, but it’s actually two separate buddy adventures happening concurrently. Most obviously, Jamie and Marian are forming a new relationship as they drive south, but the movie also spends a lot of time with Arliss and Flint, the two goons sent to hunt them down. Their constant bickering is reminiscent of Carl and Gaear, the two kidnappers played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare in Fargo. This is just onereference to a Coen brothers movie inDrive-Away Dolls.
Arliss and Flint’s constant bickering is reminiscent of Carl and Gaear, the two kidnappers played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare in Fargo.
Before they make the transition to lovers, Jamie and Marian have an enjoyable dynamic as two friends, with Jamie trying to push the more reserved Marian out of her comfort zone. Their repartee provides a lot of laughs, but it also reveals a lot about the two characters and the relationship they share with one another. It seems likely that Ethan is more responsible for the elements of buddy humor in his and his brother’s movies.
8The Raunchy Humor Is Probably Ethan’s
Drive-Away Dolls Is More Profane Than Most Coen Brothers Movies
For a long time,Drive-Away Dollskeeps up the mystery of what’s inside the briefcase that people are willing to kill for. The answer turns out to be a set of five dildos, each created using real men and a plaster casting kit. This turns the entire story into one big raunchy joke, butDrive-Away Dollslays down a marker for raunchy humor from the beginning.Jamie is introduced in the middle of a sexual encounter, and she talks about sex and relationships for the remainder of the movie.
Even if Ethan isn’t necessarily writing all the gags, it’s a safe assumption that his is the mind behind the dildo chair inBurn After Reading.
ComparingDrive-Away DollstoThe Tragedy of Macbethis borderline pointless, since there are so many immense differences. One thing that sticks out is the fact thatDrive-Away Dollsis a comedy, and this suggests that Ethan has been the one in charge of the humor in the Coen brothers' movies. Even if he isn’t necessarily writing all the gags, it’s a safe assumption that his is the mind behind the dildo chair inBurn After Reading,and probably the surreal sexual fantasy ofThe Big Lebowski.
7The Trippy Interludes Are Ethan’s Work
Ethan May Be More Into Mind-Bending Visuals Than Joel
Drive-Away Dollsis punctuated with a few psychedelic sequences, which show an intoxicating swirl of images from the movie and elsewhere. There’s a kaleidoscopic vision of a pizza, several female figures dancing around, bright splashes of neon paint, and Miley Cyrus whispering words of affirmation. Ethan Coen doesn’t tie these interludes to the main plot until the ending ofDrive-Away Dolls, when it’s revealed that Cyrus' character is Tiffany Plastercaster, the woman who made the bespoke dildos.
Drive-Away Dollssuggests that Ethan could be behind some of the Coens' more experimental shots.
These trippy visuals seem to refer back to the drug-induced hallucinations ofThe Big Lebowski.There are also a few other touches inDrive-Away Dollswhich suggest that Ethan could be the one creating some of the Coens' more experimental shots. He has a few jarring shot transitions, some of which are accompanied by comedic sound effects. He also shoots the opening sequence with Pedro Pascal and the confrontation with Matt Damon to look like pulpy adventure comics, sort of likeRaising Arizonawhen Hi is in full panic mode.
6Ethan Has A Penchant For Crime Capers
The Genre Of Drive-Away Dolls Says A Lot
It’s telling that Ethan Coen’s first solo directorial effort sees him returning to making a crime comedy, which is something that he and his brother have excelled at. Many of thebest Coen brothers moviesare crime comedies, includingFargo, The Big LebowskiandRaising Arizona.It’s possible that Ethan has been persuading Joel about the types of movies that they should be making, although they have, of course, worked in other genres.
Drive-Away Dollsisn’t quite the same as some classic Coen brothers crime capers, but it has many of the same hallmarks.
WhileJoel Coen’sThe Tragedy of Macbethwas radically different to the work he had done with his brother,Drive-Away Dollscarries on in much the same vein. It’s still not quite the same as some classic Coen brothers crime capers, but it has many of the same hallmarks. There is a MacGuffin like inBurn After Reading, some dysfunctional crooks like inFargo, and some flawed heroes who are way out of their depth like inRaising Arizona.
5Joel’s Work Is Darker
Drive-Away Dolls Is A Lighter Take On Some Coen Classics
One thing which separatesDrive-Away Dollsfrom other Coen brothers crime movies is that it’s much breezier. Even thoughDrive-Away Dollsis filled with death, it never seems as though Jamie and Marian are in too much danger. This provides a contrast to movies likeBurn After Reading, in which Brad Pitt’s lovable himbo gets his brains blown out while trying to blackmail a former CIA employee.
Drive-Away Dollsis a lighthearted road trip movie that clocks in at under 90 minutes. Jamie and Marian’s sun-soaked happy ending doesn’t come as a surprise.
Drive-Away Dollsis a lighthearted road trip movie that clocks in at under 90 minutes. Jamie and Marian’s sun-soaked happy ending doesn’t come as a surprise, becauseDrive-Away Dollsisn’t particularly interested in the dark side of crime. The characters may allude to homophobia, but they don’t experience any on-screen. The impotent ineptitude of Arliss and Flint also hints that the heroes are going to be fine when all is said and done. They act more like comic relief than villains.Other Coen brothers villains, like Anton Chigurh, would kill Curlie and the entire college soccer team.
4Ethan Takes A Looser Approach In Drive-Away Dolls
Drive-Away Dolls Is Proudly Messy
The movies of the Coen brothers are often noted for their intricacy and precision. Nothing is out of place in their best movies, and every unanswered question is left that way on purpose. The same can’t quite be said forDrive-Away Dolls,which takes a looser approach, all in the good name of having fun.Drive-Away Dollsis designed to be an unrelenting good time, with plenty of jokes, sex and a soundtrack worth dancing to. It doesn’t hold up to the analytical scrutiny that the Coen brothers are used to.
There are some aspects ofDrive-Away Dollswhich read as if Ethan Coen is allowing himself to experiment and play around.
There are some aspects ofDrive-Away Dollswhich read as if Ethan Coen is allowing himself to experiment and play around with things. Take the retro shot transitions, for instance, or the flashbacks to Marian’s sexual awakening which don’t go anywhere.Drive-Away Dollsends with a line that makes no sense, andit never answers what happens to Curlie or Flint.Ethan Coen doesn’t seem too concerned about these mysteries. This is radically different to Joel Coen’s precision-engineeredThe Tragedy of Macbeth.
3The Brothers Approach Politics In Different Ways
Drive-Away Dolls Has A More Specific Political Ideology Than Some More Existential Coen Brothers Movies
The Coen brothers have always looked at politics in broad strokes.Without naming specific politicians or even parties, their movies can dig into the psyche of different political subcultures, and they are acutely aware of how politics mingles with daily life for most Americans. This means that the Coen brothers have often discussed politics in abstract terms, lightly poking fun at narrow-minded ideologues and narcissistic politicians across the spectrum.
Drive-Away Dollsis a proudly left-leaning story about shady faux-evangelical politicians and the potential dangers of being queer in the rural American south.
Drive-Away Dollsis slightly more didactic in the way it talks about politics. Set just before the controversial 2000 election that set the tone for American politics in the 21st century,Drive-Away Dollsis a proudly left-leaning story about shady faux-evangelical politicians and the potential dangers of being queer in the rural American south. By contrast,The Tragedy of Macbethuses one of William Shakespeare’s plays which explores the twisted psychology behind power. It’s a much broader examination of politics.
2Ethan Shows An Interest In American Subcultures
The Coen Brothers Often Look At Different American Regions
Many classic Coen brothers movies can be viewed as cinematic revivals of American regionalism.InFargo, Raising Arizona, No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thouand more, the landscape is a vital component of the story, as well as the basis for some striking visual metaphors.Drive-Away Dollscontinues this Coen brothers trend by heading from Philadelphia into the heart of the American south.
By moving from Philadelphia to the south,Drive-Away Dollstravels from relative safety for queer people into dicier territory.
By moving from Philadelphia to the south,Drive-Away Dollstravels from relative safety and acceptance for queer people into dicier territory. The political billboard which touts “family values” is a hint that Jamie and Marian are far from home, and Jamie likens another place to the sundown towns of America’s past. Still,Drive-Away Dollsshows thriving queer bars dotted around the south and a particularly sexually liberated soccer team from Georgia.
1Joel Brings The Emotional Resonance
Drive-Away Dolls Has Been Described As Lightweight
A lot of the critical conversation aboutDrive-Away Dollshas focused on what Ethan Coen does without Joel, but this ignores the influence of Tricia Cooke, Ethan’s wife and co-writer. Cooke helps create a queer comedy that’s light and fun to watch. This may seem lightweight, but this is kind of the point. So many movies and TV shows with queer characters are about heavy themes such as homophobia, human rights and acceptance. Fun road trip comedies often seem to be reserved for straight characters.
The movie’s critical reputation has taken a hit due to this perceived lack of emotional depth.
Drive-Away Dollswears its heart on its sleeve. It’s proudly simplistic at times, offering a good time and little else. While this is a breath of fresh air, the movie’s critical reputation has taken a hit due to this perceived lack of emotional depth. It’s possible that Joel Coen is the brother who helps more in terms of imbuing Coen brothers movies with deep emotional resonance.Ethan Coen’s next solo directorial feature could be more revealing.He and Cooke are working on another “lesbian B-movie” in their words, titledHoney Don’t!
Drive-Away Dolls
Cast
From director Ethan Coen comes Drive-Away Dolls, a comedic road-show-styled film that stars two best friends that head out on a road trip that goes hilariously awry. Following Jamie’s recent break-up and her friend Marian’s inflexibility hitting its peak, the two decide to hit the road to Florida - until they accidentally run into a group of bumbling criminals.
