The social media embargo has lifted on Ethan Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls.” I still can’t write a review, so I’ll just have to post what I wrote on X:
“DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS: A wild tribute to b-movies, zany road trips, with a very retro vibe and absurdly quick pace (84 minutes). Coen-esque, but goofier and more straight-shooting than most of their other comedies.”
“Over-the-top sex, violence and theatrics. The cast is great, so many noteworthy cameos. Not much substance to the whole thing — just a good time at the movies. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan have chemistry to spare.”
There is also a major obsession with the female body in this one. I’m actually not sure if that was Coen’s doing or Cooke’s, but it’s a very horny movie. Joel and Ethan were never as infatuated by the female anatomy as in here.
So, yes, it’s not primo Coen, by any stretch, but I enjoyed it and it’s just a really fun time at the movies. Ari Wegner is the DP here and I really wished Coen regulars Delbonnel or Deakins could have lensed this one. It just doesn’t look the same. That depth-filled, and colourful, crispness to the frames is sorely missing. Coen and Cooke instead opted for a more grungy B-movie look.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Directed by Ethan Coen.
The cast assembled for Coen’s film is great: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp and Matt Damon. They’re all wonderful here. Not a missed note.
Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke initially wrote the screenplay in the mid-2000s as a “Russ Meyer-inspired romp” that was initially supposed to be directed by Allison Anders (“Gas Food Lodging”).
“Drive-Away Dolls” is set for theatrical release on February 23. The review embargo lifts on February 21st.
Cooke and Coen are going to direct the second film of their planned B-movie lesbian trilogy. The next one is called “Honey Don’t” and it’ll star Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans and Qualley. A March production date is set for that one.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.