Are the Coen Brothers Over-rated?

Denerick

In the same spirit as the Tarantino thread...

Let me see; we've got the Big Lebowski, Fargo, Burn after Reading and No Country for Old Men.

I've seen all of the Coen Brothers films over the years and these four are the only ones I liked. Which is still top dollar.

What does anyone else think? Do you have to 'get' their humour?

Galvasean

I think some of their movies are overrated, particularly No Country For Old Men (still taught it was good mind, but not the classic the reviewers made it out to be when it came out).
Big Lebowski and Fargo are both classics, proving the duo's versatility. But for each classic there is an equally big turkey, like Intolerable Cruelty or the Lady Killers.

So overall I'd say they're excellent when on form but are no sacred cows and not incapable of messing things up (same way I feel about Tarintino, Spielberg and many many others).

Illkillya

Oh Brother Where Art Thou was also great. Up there with Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men - top notch Coen Brothers' movies.

Tier 2 Coens you have the likes of Raising Arizona, Burn After Reading, Millers Crossing, Blood Simple... all good films imo, just not masterpieces.

I disagree that for each classic there is an equally big turkey. You mentioned two turkeys - The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty. Those imo are the only two Coen Brothers "turkeys" (even that is a little bit harsh).

Hudsucker Proxy and Barton Fink were maybe a little bit too Coeny for me, but still decent films in their own right. Similarly, "The Man Who Wasn't There" did not tick all boxes, but had some good stuff in it, nice dark humour and was original for sure.

The Pontiac

NO, THEY'RE NOT OVERRATED.

Karl Hungus

I wouldn't really say over-rated. When they get it right, they make extremely good films, and I'd add Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing also, but when they falter and make rubbish like Intolerable Cruelty or The Ladykillers I think everyone calls it out for rubbish.

Thought Burn After Reading was fairly mediocre myself, as was The Man Who Wasn't There, and I would probably say I did enjoy Oh Brother Where Art Though, but definitely not one of my favourites. Raising Arazona I wasn't much of a fan of either.

But on the whole, I think they're extremely talented directors.

The Pontiac

Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing and No Country for Old Men are only a few of my favourite flicks. They might not be to everyone's taste, but they're definitely not overrated.

Denerick

..

Basq

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I wouldn't really say over-rated. When they get it right, they make extremely good films, and I'd add Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing also, but when they falter and make rubbish like Intolerable Cruelty or The Ladykillers I think everyone calls it out for rubbish.

Thought Burn After Reading was fairly mediocre myself, as was The Man Who Wasn't There, and I would probably say I did enjoy Oh Brother Where Art Though, but definitely not one of my favourites. Raising Arazona I wasn't much of a fan of either.

But on the whole, I think they're extremely talented directors.

Hit.. nail.. on.. head!

Spot on - they're extremely talented directors for the most part but they're not infallible either. They've made some downright woeful films (The Ladykillers, Intolerable Cruelty) but films like Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing and No Country For Old Men I think are each a masterclass of film-making in their particular genre.

I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of theirs.. but they're certainly very good at what they do.

Otacon

Question: Is there a director (or directors) alive at the moment that hasn't made at least one stinker?

Similar to Tarantino, I will give a film a chance with their name attached.

speedboatchase

These threads are overrated, can't believe people actually reply. Look it's this simple - NO THEY'RE NOT OVERRATED, NEITHER IS TARANTINO. People just trying to stir useless debate by trying to divert from the pack. Someone's gonna make "Is Spielberg over-rated" next

Denerick

speedboatchase wrote: »

These threads are overrated, can't believe people actually reply. Look it's this simple - NO THEY'RE NOT OVERRATED, NEITHER IS TARANTINO. People just trying to stir useless debate by trying to divert from the pack. Someone's gonna make "Is Spielberg over-rated" next

Settle down there mate. If you don't like the thread that bad then don't reply.

WillieCocker

If all or most of their movies were crap, no one would say they were over-rated.
Sucess brings enemies as well as fans.
Same goes for Tarantino.

Lamper.sffc

Definitely not overrated. I love a lot of their movies. There isnt many directors out there that are as original as these guys. I love their dark sense of humour.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Otacon wrote: »

Question: Is there a director (or directors) alive at the moment that hasn't made at least one stinker?

Christopher Nolan? Though i haven't seen Insomnia, but his other ones are all quality.

Kai

Well how do you qualify over rated? They are to my knowledge regarded as great film makers. They have made great films (Miller's crossing, fargo, lebowski). Doesnt that justify their "rating" ?? Just because they have made 1 or 2 less than great films does that mean they are over rated? To me this is a silly discussion. Its a bit like saying a great sportsman isnt great because he had a few bad games...

Greyfox

Denerick wrote: »

I've seen all of the Coen Brothers films over the years and these four are the only ones I liked. Which is still top dollar.

What does anyone else think? Do you have to 'get' their humour?

No you don't have to get their humor, their just very very overratted

Fargo is a very good film. The Big Lebowski and Burn after reading were average. I wouldn't recommend their other films to anybody especially not No Country for Old Men which I found to be one of the most overratted films ever!

[/QUOTE]

Earthhorse

Personally, for the most part, I find the worlds they create unappelaing; not interesting, not entertaining. Also, I feel their work lacks much in the way of heart or meaning. So for my money, yes, very overrated (though technically accomplished, no doubt).

Johnny Storm

Oh Brother Where Art Thou is one of my favourite films of all time. The Big Lebowsky is up there too.

bnt

Depends on the film, and who's doing the rating. Do you see any critic, professional or otherwise, expecting all their output to be perfect? I haven't seen all Coen Brothers films, but as a body of work, I'm impressed. I even like The Man Who Wasn't There, at least partly for the performance they got out of Billy Bob Thornton, who I normally dislike.

But I can't say whether they're overrated, because I don't know that there's a consensus on how to rate them. Wait till they're dead, then we'll see. Maybe. :rolleyes:

JCos

Burn after reading is an awful film. Really disappointed by it.

They're forgiven though because The Big Lebowski is so ****in good.

They're made more good films than they have bad.

Nolanger

Of course they're overrated - but so are most contemporary American directors.

McGrath5

I thought The Big Lebowski, Fargo, No Country and Burn after Reading where great films.
I've also seen Miller's crossing and Raising Arizona which I thought where muck tbh.

Driver 8

Wouldn't class them as over-rated at all. The only films they've made that don't really measure up are the aforementioned Ladykillers and Intolerate Cruelty, and even they have some minor pleasures.

One of the best films of the nineties in Fargo (not entirely sold on Lebowski being in that league)

One of the best films this decade with No Country

Considering this thread was started because of the Tarantino one, you need only compare the two career trajectories. Tarantino has produced more subpar films since Jackie Brown than the Coens ever have.

quickbeam

playa3 wrote: »

Christopher Nolan? Though i haven't seen Insomnia, but his other ones are all quality.

Exactly who I thought of when the question was asked.

uncleoswald

I think they have been going downhill since The Man Who Wasn't There, which left me completely cold but a lot of people said it was amongst their best work. Since then their only movie that interested me was No Country but it was tailer made for the Coens and while they did a great job adapting it they didn't bring much to it either, just managed not to f*ck it up. So the jury is still out until I see their next "serious" movie.

Driver 8

I think that assessment is the Coens and No Country is pretty far off the mark. Yes, they had excellent source material, but I can't imagine many directors producing a film quite like it, it's imbued with as much of their own trademarks as it is McCarthys.

uncleoswald

Driver 8 wrote: »

Yes, they had excellent source material, but I can't imagine many directors producing a film quite like it

Oh I absolutely agree. I didn't really mean it as an insult, I just meant that the book is a very much like a story the Coens might have written at the very top of their game and even if I think their story telling abilities have waned recently they are still great technical filmmakers so in that respect as long as they simply shot what they read (which is what they said they did) I can't imagine how they could have f*cked it up. And I couldn't imagine many other people shooting that movie without f*cking it up.