10s Movie Review - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Harry Melling

Description: Six tales of life and violence in the Old West.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 25: A MOVIE WITH MULTIPLE STORYLINES
 
Review: A film by Joel and Ethan Coen is always something to look forward to. That Netflix allowed the famous brothers to make a film and gave them a free hand in it makes it even more interesting. The results is an anthology of six stories, all set in the Old West and highlighting an aspect of life in the Wild West.

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” has a book as a window for the narratives. An unknown person opens the book and we dive into the first story. It bears the title of the film and is delightfully ridiculous. Tim Blake Nelson plays the smiley cowboy from the title and comes across as somewhat simple. But he manages to win every fight he gets into. That;s how simple the premise of the first story is.

The other five are more or less the same, but there is enough cleverness in them and references to modern times to keep engaging. Gradually, the tone of the film also changes and the lightheartedness disappears. In ‘Meal Ticket’ Liam Neeson plays the callous impresario of a man without arms and legs. The wretch recites poems, but sees his audience shrinking. This was my favorite story. In ‘The Mortal Remains’ we follow a group of people in a carriage. This is my least favorite of the stories and a bit boring actually. Other stories stand out, like ‘Near Algodones’ where James Franco plays a bank robber, or ‘All the Gold Canyon’ with a starring role for musician Tom Waits as a prospector. The stories are not connected, so it’s sometimes difficult to get into them properly.

It’s not one of the best movies by the Coen Brothers and certainly not one of my favorites, but definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 118: Seven Psychopaths

Director: Martin McDonagh

Genre: Crime/ Comedy

Runtime: 110 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Pitt, Harry Dean Stanton

Description: Struggling screenwriter Marty (Colin Farrell) inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu.

Review: Marty is an Irish scriptwriter who works in Hollywood. For his next script he only has a title: “Seven Psychopaths”. Trying to fight his writer’s block, he’s constantly drinking alcohol. His friends Billy and Hans have another occupation: they kidnap dogs and then return them to their owners in order to collect the reward. Everything goes wrong when Billy kidnaps the Shi’Tzu of criminal Charlie and Marty gets involved.

“Seven Psychopaths” is best described as a dark crime comedy. Filled with good actors who get away with all the horrible violence because of their funny dialogues and the bizarre scenario. Director Martin McDonagh broke through with “In Bruges”, which is a favorite of mine. Colin Farrell also had the lead role in that movie. Here, as Marty, he is more neutral and the people around him steal the show. Sam Rockwell does what he does best. He’s totally crazy, but wins over your sympathy somehow. Christopher Walken has the most emotional role, but his humor is great.

McDonagh filled “Seven Psychopaths” with fun moments. It’s sometimes on the edge of overdoing it, but thanks to the humor of the actors it’s a highly enjoyable movie. Definitely worth your time.

Rating: 4/ 5