as the Coens' mainstream debut, Raising Arizona is a work of extreme gall, an assured live-action cartoon that sees their comic sensibilities emerge full-grown. the most impressive thing to me has always been the opening sequence, as Nic Cage (never better than he was here) narrates a relentless expository montage of visual wit and assured scene-setting that maintains its energy to the bitter end, as the opening titles finally cease the fast-forward. but the film as a whole is vintage Coen: brilliantly dedicated performances, warm eccentricity, and a script as poetically airtight as it is madcap.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
the coen brothers' RAISING ARIZONA (1987)
as the Coens' mainstream debut, Raising Arizona is a work of extreme gall, an assured live-action cartoon that sees their comic sensibilities emerge full-grown. the most impressive thing to me has always been the opening sequence, as Nic Cage (never better than he was here) narrates a relentless expository montage of visual wit and assured scene-setting that maintains its energy to the bitter end, as the opening titles finally cease the fast-forward. but the film as a whole is vintage Coen: brilliantly dedicated performances, warm eccentricity, and a script as poetically airtight as it is madcap.
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2 comments:
i demand a review of 28 weeks later!
i'm not usually a fan of these kinds of questions (beatles or stones, etc), but this one is always sure to cause a ruckus:
which film do you think is funnier:
'the jerk' or 'raising arizona'?
it's a toughie, but i personally choose 'arizona', mostly because of all the great characters.
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