Movie Review: Drive-Away Dolls

 

The creative separation of the Coen Brothers over the past few years has revealed a lot about what they each brought to their films. Joel's inaugural solo venture was a gothic reimagining of Shakespeare's Macbeth entitled The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and his wife Frances McDormand. Ethan's is an original screwball crime comedy about two lesbian friends (Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan) that have their leisurely road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee derailed when they discover they've been unwillingly transporting contraband belonging to some very powerful people in the trunk of their rental car called Drive-Away Dolls. This serious artist/court jester dynamic is what makes the Coen Brothers such a dynamic force to be reckoned with and while their forthcoming reunion on an untitled horror film that's set to shoot at the end of this year or the beginning will certainly be a welcome one, it's been fun to see what they bring to the table as individual filmmaking entities over the past few years.

For some people, Drive-Away Dolls will serve as proof that Ethan needs Joel to reign in his goofier impulses. For others, it will be a refreshingly silly twist on the classic Coen crime farce formula. I'm firmly in the latter camp.

It took all of about 90 seconds for Drive-Away Dolls to hook me as it transitions from a quick but memorable cameo from Pedro Pascal to a pair of scenes introducing the protagonists: Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan). Jamie's relationship with a short-tempered, foul-mouthed cop (Beanie Feldstein-in her funniest performance since Booksmart) abruptly ends when she's caught cheating with another woman in a uh, interesting manner while Marian rebuffs a male co-worker who is trying to ask her on a date in a conversation dominated by semantics and awkwardness. These early scenes lay down the foundation for a house built on zany situational comedy and when Jamie and Marian hit the road about 10 minutes later, it's officially all systems go for a wild fucking ride. Unsavory surprises reveal themselves; new friends and foes are made and a whole lot of swearing, screwing and killing takes place. In lesser hands, this game of adrenaline-fueled weirdo pinball would run the risk of turning into a catastrophe at any moment. But with a seasoned comic director in Coen at the helm and Qualley and Viswanathan excelling as an extrovert/introvert pairing who are ultimately drawn closer by all of the weird shit that happens to them on their trip, it hits all the right manic and vulgar notes before it cruises off into the sunset in well under 90 minutes (it only runs 84 minutes with credits!). Given the pretty rocky start the 2024 cinematic year has gotten off to, having something so breezy, funny and silly arrive on the scene is the perfect palate cleanser that will hopefully pave the way for a much more fulfilling spring at the old cinema.                                  

Grade: B