DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS Movie Review | Ethan Coen | Margaret Qualley | Geraldine Viswanathan

[@martymascarin486]

Love the segue into the coffee promo--so smooth and playful Christy! The movie's dialogue pacing and mundane content seems more reminiscent of Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" crossed with "His Girl Friday" than vintage Coen brothers. A picky but off-putting point: dialogue begins in a scene that should have occurred earlier--ie Jamie and Marian begin a conversation in the car about what happened the night before which--logically---the chat should have occurred upon getting up in the morning or during breakfast at least. Why silence about an obviously impactful incident until they get into the car? I guess the filmmakers couldn't figure out how to film two lesbians getting up in the morning. They're not mad a each other, so no one is sulking. Great waste of Camp and Viswanathan who is very engaging in "Bad Education" and "Hala." Increasingly dopey, dubioius scenarios---the giddy lesbian soccer team make out as if they're on a teen sleepover, with a whistle-blowing coach overseeing the speed smooching? What???? And I agree that the leads are appealing and a moment or two sparks of life but quickly fizzles out into idiocy. Wanted to like this thing but....another Dog Days of Winter entry, sadly. O brother Joel, where art thou?

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, very good Marty! Thanks for your thoughts.

[@SkolneyVikings]

I enjoyed it for the cast. Margaret Qualley is a superstar in the making.

[@Psyfoob]

The squeal I let out when the Coffee Bros ad happened. Christy is such a master at this. 😁

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, thanks!

[@Pupeyes]

Margaret Qualley was too much for me. It distracted me. The ending felt so random too. It left me feeling rather underwhelmed

[@Locusto199]

Christy always kills the segue 👏😂.

[@dibs1601]

Lol love it everytime when Christy segways an ad and Alonso laughs

[@ZPHammill]

I agree. There are so many reasons this could have worked on paper... but nothing works. Also, the trailers give away waaaaaaaaay too much.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

That second one really does.

[@papayacatproductions]

I had a lot of fun with this movie. Yes, it could have been sharper and the many moving pieces could have come together in a more chaotic, fun way, but even lesser Coen is still crazy good! The psychedelic absurdity and off-beat side characters were so much fun and so weirdly funny. I think the intended rhythms will become clear on a second viewing. This is a cult favorite that will be played on a loop in dorm rooms in 10 years.

[@johnoates3791]

I always love seeing how Christy is going to segue into Coffee Bros.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, we aim to entertain!

[@0214Bub]

Coen-lite is how I would describe this. Margaret Qualley had kind of a Holly Hunter vibe going on from Raising Arizona. I wondered if Coen made her watch it and said I want you to have her energy and sound like her. Also, the thing everyone was after was really not a big deal in the end.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Right? We were like, that's it?

[@colonelweird]

Alonso mentioning reaction to the Madame Web review is quite funny. That was the first review I encountered, then the algorithm served me a bunch of others, each one filled with more rage and fury than the last. I knew I had to stop watching when I found myself watching a guy scream that it was a hate crime for S.J. Clarkson to even touch a movie camera. I'm glad you guys aren't like that.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

It's strange, isn't it? Thanks for watching our review!

[@thisisevan1]

Margaret Qualley wasn't doing Austin Butler in Elvis, she was doing Miley Cyrus as Miley Cyrus, and that's long before Miley even showed up on screen. Anyways, this movie was way better than Madame Web, FFS.

[@Furriner]

Driveaway was a real company, at least back in the '80s. I always figured The Hitcher was its kiss of death, but, who knows? They may still be around.

[@AllInTheGame01]

So we're saying Joel's the secret sauce of the partnership? :)

[@dylanstump6866]

That was my big takeaway after seeing it.

[@paulelroy6650]

no just that this film might not work

[@splatterhousecorrupt8520]

Incorrect. The actual deal is coens wife is Bi and this is her movie. He helped and allowed her to use his name but this is a movie written by his lez wife and it is total garbage. This is not due to missing 1 coen bros, it is missing both and having his bi wife write a movie and then rely on his name to sell it. If u look into the relationship and then watch this movie it is undeniable she wrote this.

[@BullyMaguire4ever]

I think it’s the combo, for sure. Joel is the serious side and Ethan is the comedy side.

[@Nathanatos22]

@@splatterhousecorrupt8520I had to look it up because it’s hard to believe-but you’re right, that’s all true. Technically, Ethan’s wife Tricia calls herself “queer” and says there’s a “disconnect” between herself and Ethan, but it’s obvious (especially after watching this movie, written by her) what that means.

[@geobrad7]

Poor Christy was just trying to make a coin and Alonso is over there laughing away at her smooth segue. 😂

[@Celestialrob]

The two leads were really good and even the two thugs were very engaging. Alonso nailed it and agreed 100%. I was so disappointed and then increasingly annoyed. I think the disappointment comes from me loving the Coens and being genuinely excited. I gave it a 4 but that may have been kind. Thanks you two as always.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

We love the Coens too so we feel you. Thanks Rob!

[@moebrains5893]

Drive away-ing is a very real job, I used to do it for Uhaul. Those trucks always gotta get to back to somewhere!

[@OldBluesChapterandVerse]

I thought even the trailer was terrible. It actually appears to be poorly made, which is shocking and also suggests that Joel is the brother with the secret sauce, given how spectacular his solo outing with Shakespeare turned out to be.

[@TheBrownLamb]

The whole idea of the film was to make it look and feel like a B movie. So was kind of the point

[@OldBluesChapterandVerse]

@@TheBrownLamb I guess everyone in the world then who either thought it looked terrible or who didn’t like it…just didn’t get it. Good to know. Thanks for that. 😉

[@MrAlexdimm]

THIS ISNT A COEN BROS MOVIE. THIS IS HIS BI WIFE USING HIS NAME TO SELL HER MOVIE. IT IS NOT WATCHABLE IN MY OPINION AND NOT A MOVIE EITHER OF THEM WOULD HAVE MADE.

[@PrincipiaDeCinema]

@@OldBluesChapterandVerse The movie has a different look than other movies that the Coens have made. There is a different cinematographer. There is a use of fluorescent lighting. The look of the film is very obviously intentional if you've seen the film. The trailer makes it look grimy and sleezy, kind of exploitation film, which was what they were going for. The cinematographer is Ari Wegner who shot Power of the Dog, as well as many other well received films. She is known for her versatility, which tells you if Ethan Coen wanted the film to look different, she could have made it look different. The look was exactly what he wanted. Whether you like it is another story.

[@TheBrownLamb]

@@OldBluesChapterandVerse That’s not what I meant at all. Wasn’t talking about if the film was good or not (which is subjective anyway)- simply that the whole point of the film was to make it appear “poorly made.” It was a stylistic choice. The director has mentioned this multiple times

[@triciabrubacher6697]

Amen. I saw this yesterday, and wow, super disappointing. The jokes didn’t land, I cringed through so much… and it felt long despite being very short. I did laugh a few times, and I wanted to like it, I enjoyed the preview.. but hoo boy, I knew I made a mistake a few minutes in.

[@lordofthestrings86]

Damn, I was really looking forward to this one too. I guess I'll have to wait until next weekend for Dune to be 2024's first good movie release that I'll actually be able to see.

[@crithon]

well, I actually lived in Philly in 1999, and I would spend my nights at a coffee shop beside a gay bar, so i have a solid remembering the queer scene in the 90s/2000s. So yeah, this would be right up my alley, but still walking back from the theater watching Y Tu Mama Tambien to south Philly and back to the train station night, isn't a raunchy comedy material. More like would have been one of those coming of age stories.

[@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy]

'Lezzzbian?!" (In my Blanche Devereaux voice.)

[@tlovehater]

Hahah

[@adamp2029]

Very cool XTC shirt!

[@cheekylix]

Gotta love Christy's sus jerma emote smile in the thumbnail.

[@danielbarrero2815]

I enjoyed this movie :)

[@christiandunbar532]

What was your favorite joke?

[@MrAlexdimm]

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS MOVIE YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO COMMENT ON MOVIES.

[@christiandunbar532]

I really want to know this person favorite joke

[@KennethPalmer10]

Hmmmmm…. I agree with your review for the most part. But I did have a good time watching this. I think Margaret Qualley was very good in this. Some of the comedy was actually funny

[@jeremydawe341]

My grandpa actually did drive aways for a car dealer where I live and it was around this time frame no less. This is disappointing to hear given the picture is from a Coen brother. I have never really gotten into the tv series Fargo because the first season honestly felt like a greatest hits from the Coen filmography.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Jeremy that's interesting! And the new season of Fargo is great, as you've probably seen from our recaps :)

[@BobSullivanAKABuffy]

Saw it today, not a bad Monday matinee crowd. With no opening credits I'd forgotten which 'name' was involved in this but when I saw the Brother Coen at the end I thought to myself "REALLY?!". I liked it about in your numbers' range while my friend seemed to love it. I don't remember the trailer hinting at the lesbian angle (that was a big angle). I'd like a chat with spoilers cuz so much seems to make no sense to me. Oh well. I know I've seen far worse this time of year before.

[@TheTerryGene]

While admittedly it is no “Fargo” or “The Big Lebowski,” as a queer viewer, I enjoyed the hell out of it. I walked out of the theatre with a big smile on my face. To each his own.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Glad it spoke to you!

[@akxsharma]

All of the arguments Alonso used abiut this movie about lesbians is how I felt about bottoms lol I liked it more than I thought I would but def low tier coens

[@valinny8571]

That was NOT what I was expecting in the suitcase!

[@petergrossi6605]

I loved it… I laughed a lot. It reminded me of themla and Louise and burn after reading.

[@jasoncarrick5461]

Wow, I am shocked by the low scores, maybe the bar is set too high for the Coens? Are they feuding, because they need each other. I will see this because I love the Coens but my hopes are a bit dashed.

[@bleuthold]

I liked it more than you two did but I was confused why Zoe Kazan showed up for one scene and wasn't credited 🤔

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Wait, where was Zoe Kazan?

[@bleuthold]

@@BreakfastAllDay I think she's the one Margaret Qualley brings back to the motel; I believe her character is named Amber and she asks if they're interested in a three-way.

[@bleuthold]

Oops, looked it up now and apparently it's an actress named Layne Lazor who looks a lot like Zoe Kazan 😆

[@swray2112]

Is Alonso ok? Seems that lately, he has been really harsh on a lot of movies. Noticeable to me, as his tastes & mine (except for Hallmark movies!) have been mostly aligned going all the way back to the What the Flick? days. 2.5, really? That's what he gave The Wrong Missy!

[@PrincipiaDeCinema]

Having just seen this film and having recently rewatched all the Coen Brothers films in order, I'm surprised by how many critics compare this poorly to other Coen Brothers films. To me, there is always a certain awkwardness to the comedy in Coen Brothers films because the autocratic style of their direction clashes with one of their main influences, screwball comedy, and specifically the films of Preston Sturges. Drive-Away Dolls has some Coen Brothers elements, but it also executes something successfully that they have never pulled off, the romantic comedy. Many reviewers have mentioned how surprising it is to see Ethan make a film this sexually charged considering how little sex is in his films he made with his brother. One of the reasons I think attempts to emulate 30s and 40s screwball comedies almost always fail is it is almost impossible to replicate the libidinous nature of those films. They were the product of directors and writers trying to wring every last drop of sexiness they could get under the oppressive Hayes Code. I often tell people that 30s and 40s comedies are among the "horniest movies ever made," and the films of Preston Sturges in general are outright smutty. I went to film school in the late 90s and took a Preston Sturges class, even though I had already seen most of his films, and my classmates were shocked and delighted how absolutely filthy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is, despite the fact the Hayes Code bared Sturges from even saying his female protagonist was pregnant. (Yet they allowed him to name her Trudy Kockenlocker.) The Coens attempted to make a romantic comedy once before with Intolerable Cruelty. It has its defenders but is usually considered one of their worst films. What keeps it from working is the relentless cynicism Even when they get to the "happy ending" where love "triumphs," you get the sense that they don't believe it for a second. Sturges ended The Palm Beach Story with an intentionally absurd happy ending, but it feels like a wink. The Lady Eve spends the whole movie showing you how dumb its male protagonist is and how morally questionable its female protagonist is, but they still can't help but fall in love, and he makes you buy it. In Intolerable Cruelty, the message comes off, "Aren't romantic comedies stupid? These two people are horrible and just tried to kill each other, and now we're treating them like soulmates." Drive-Away Dolls has the lightest touch of anything either Coen has done. The cynicism, which has led to their films being labeled misanthropic, is at a minimum. That's where I don't get comparisons to Burn After Reading. That is the blackest of their black comedies, and yeah, the criminals in Drive-Away Dolls are dumb, but Coen and Cooke have real affection for most of the characters. It seems absurd to think that Jamie, with her unapologetic hedonism, and the uptight Marian are anything but ill-suited as a couple, but the movie wants you to believe in them together. Some sentiment does pop up every once in a while in Coen Brothers movies, Raising Arizona, Fargo, and O Brother Where Art Thou have some sentimental moments, but cynicism almost always wins out in their movies. Joel once said in an interview that Ethan was the romantic one and they would sometimes fight about it when writing their scripts. Drive-Away Dolls comes off as a confirmation of that. I also want to bring up that the movie doesn't take its plot seriously for even a second. The revel of what is in the case is one of the funniest things in the movie. Does it make a lot of sense? No, not in terms of plot, but it certainly does in relation to theme and supporting the movie's joyous celebration of queer sexuality, and sexuality in general. I think Coen and Cooke's indifference to the mechanics of plot in favor of getting where they want to go by any means is one of the weaknesses of the film, and I think that is the element that annoys most of the people who don't like it, but I think this bothers you less once you realize what the film's ultimate goal is, which is to make a queer screwball comedy, as goofy, absurd, and light as those 30s and 40s movies were. It doesn't quite get there, but it gets way closer than I've seen anybody else get.

[@ssssssstssssssss]

They released some duds together. Their zany comedies have always been hit and miss when compared to their dark comedy/tragedies. A bit unfortunate that this one is not that great, especially considering the trailer looked promising

[@hotguy1269]

Have you seen Monsterous with Christina Ricki? It’s a great clever film!

[@shecalledmelisalou]

What drugs are YOU on?! 😂 Thanks for saving me 80 minutes with this movie.

[@BottleConcreteBlond]

Too bad! This sounded fun, I might still watch it.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Check it out and let us know!

[@brianstout8847]

I'm seeing this tomorrow, but going in with much less enthusiasm now. It seems like they realized they are better together, since they've recently announced a horror movie together that's meant to remind us of Blood Simple.

[@pb.j.1753]

It's pathetic how this movie is advertised with "written by Tricia Cooke" like a single person out there gives a flying f.

[@bev9708]

It just came out here and yep gotta agree with Alonso unfortunately , it’s aweful !! All the elements are there but it’s just irritating !!! I lolled once!!🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Alec_Collins78]

I had a phone in '99.

[@terrylovell_video_editor]

Everyone in the theater LEFT before the movie was even close to ending!!! Saw this movie tonight at 7:30 on Saturday 3/2/24 and really didn’t like it. BUT at least we stayed til the end. In a smaller Cinemark theater in Dallas and the other 12 or so people packed their stuff and headed for the exits. I heard apologies for dragging friends to it and worst movie I’ve ever seen. So skip this one.

[@SuspenduAuGaffa]

Clearly, Alonso's not a chess fan if he had trouble pronouncing "Viswanathan"

[@Ajax-322]

I had a feeling it wouldn't be good. I couldn't even make it through the trailer. Everything just felt forced and cringy.

[@bev9708]

What a pity!! On the other hand , Christy remains Queen of the sponsor segue!!!

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Thanks Bev! We did 22 miles yesterday 😫

[@bev9708]

@@BreakfastAllDay 👏🏻👏🏻🏃🏼‍♀👏🏻👏🏻And now you can barely walk?😂 Yep, know the feeling well!!!

[@Wiz83]

This looks cool and I'm a fan of both the Coen Brothers and Margaret Qualley, so I may check this out when it comes to streaming. Speaking of Margaret Qualley, I just watched Maid and she is incredible in that show. She was also a standout in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

[@El_oh7199]

I find the Coens comedies to be a real mixed bag. I loved Raising Arizona, Brother Where Art Thou and Burn After Reading but I despise the one they did with Tim Robbins and I walked out of The Big Lebowski. Drive Away Dolls felt more like a return to form even if some elements felt too ridiculous or indulgent. Qualley and Viswanathan really are great together and Beanie Feldstein has never been this funny imo. This would make a great lesbian sex comedy double feature with last year's Bottoms

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Bottoms is one of our favorites around here! Alonso put it on his top 10 list.

[@tlovehater]

That intro 🤭

[@akidthatskates284]

Pretty let down by this review ethans debut could have been fun tangible and like a tangy new hip genre piece but still to no avail. Sad I saw this trailer in theaters multiple times was hoping for better

[@legallycurated1796]

Did you really correct pronunciation of that insane name? Tard ops at work here

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Indeed. We gotta get these things right.

[@lexis4490]

There was something missing from the movie. It was a good story but it wasn’t funny.

[@GarganoA]

I'll keep it low-brow, why not...this one just LOOKED like shit.

[@MrAlexdimm]

IT WAS

[@tkusterb]

Maybe it was a real job in 1999.

[@user-oj9hm6ss5i]

Delivering cars and getting a ride out of it? Yeah, it was.

[@originalhgc]

It's the worst movie I've seen this year, and I hope to heaven that I don't see a worse one. Margaret Qualley is unbearably awful. Beyond disappointing. Bill Camp was the only bright spot, and he was just a shadow of a well-drawn Coen Bros character.

[@Locusto199]

An 84 minute movie that feels tedious? Yikes 😳.

[@robertb2858]

No need to beat around the bush 👀 and think you can't criticise because you might offend someone; it's utter shit, end of.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

What's great about art is that we can all have different opinions and it's OK!

[@kandagger]

So Ethan Cohen is screening the film FEMALE TROUBLE along with Doris Wishman and Russ Meyer titles to get audiences revved up and on the same page as this film. (which he claims are the inspirations) Just a hard "no". DRIVE-AWAY isn't in the same solar system as those films. Not even close. Boo!

[@Ricardodiaz17762]

Yeah, I'm gonna cancel my reservation for it. I don't feel like driving to see a disappointing movie. Thanks guys.👍

[@anthonydauk4661]

I guess you didn't have a mind of your own. Sheeple

[@Ricardodiaz17762]

@@anthonydauk4661 Nice try, dumbass. I've been following them since their old channel named What the Flick?!. I trust their opinions because we agree 99% of the time.

[@MrAlexdimm]

DO NOT EXPECT A COEN BROS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE WAS MADE BY THE BI "WIFE" OF ONE OF THE BROTHERS WHO USED THE NAME FOR MARKETING. THIS MOVIE IS ABSOLUTE TRASH. IT IS NOT QUIRKY, FUNNY OR ANY OF THAT. I WAS SO BORED I WALKED OUT. SOME PEOPLE SUPHER FROM COPROPHAGIA, AND HAVE A TASTE FOR SHT. IF YOU HAVE A TASTE FOR THIS MOVIE, YOU SUFFER FROM THE CINEMATIC EQUIVILANT.

[@leonkuwata4510]

One thing that really stuck out to me was the amount of sexual content in the film and its purpose (or lack thereof). Compared to Poor Things, which justified its frequent usage to further the story, the sex in this genuinely came across as fetishistic. Christy/Alonso, did you guys feel as weirdly awkward watching this as me, like you were watching someone make a kink movie?

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Did not bother us.

[@MrAlexdimm]

IDK ABOUT POOR THINGS, BUT IN THIS MOVIE, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I AM NO PRUDE, WATCHED PORN BEFORE WRITING THIS. BUT I WANTED A COEN BROS MOVIE, NOT THIS SOFT CORE FETISH PORN GARBAGE. I WAS EXPECTING FARGO AND GOT THE RED SHOE DIARIES. I WASNT OFFENDED, I WAS PISSED.

[@ksmooth1973]

One of the worst and boring movies I have seen in a long time. Slow as hell and everybody in the theater walked out of it for good reason

[@filmfreak21]

I could not agree more.its very bad

[@101RealTalker]

Coens have alway been trash, only memory worthy moments are Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading