It is. But it also is, in my opinion, the peak of that misanthropic streak, that the Coens have. It is a very good movie, but a very, very uncomfortable one for many - me included.
Film Ranker says, "It's something you would never watch twice." True that. I've seen it and clips of it scores of times to fully understand it. Film Ranker has got to open up his Old Testament and brush up on his Yiddish songbook to really be able to appreciate some of the depth of spirituality and symbolism in _A Serious Man_ .
'Serious Man' has one of the best movie endings ever. The bully sees the tornado coming and there is nothing that can be done about it. We hear 'Somebody to Love' on the nerd kid's scratchy device and then the song moves into deep full-blown sound as the credits start rolling. So, so powerful.
Yes, absolutely. But it's always been underrated. I collect movie posters in a major way (a dealer, in fact); always astounded by how little interest there is in the Raising Arizona poster.
O Brother should be in the top 5. One of the most multi-dimensional comedies of all time, some new insight comes to the surface with every re-watch. My personal favorite movie.
I’m actually a huge fan of “A Serious Man”, I’ve seen it more than twice!! 3 or 4 times… it gets funnier, and funnier each time. The last shot in the movie is SOOOO COOL. Great ending.
I have actually shown the Opening seen to a Freshmen seminar class for several years. You don't know what has just happened and you don't know what is going to happen. Sets the whole mood for the rest of the film. Should be well above LLewyn Davis.
Miller's Crossing is my favourite...an awesome movie, it came out the same year as Goodfellows and Godfather 3 was kind of forgotten about, but is a brilliant mob movie with a terrific script, cinematography and performances.
It's a film that keeps popping back into my head at random moments. It's got depth, and keeps you questioning long after the credits roll. It's one I've watched more than once and will surely watch again despite the claim of this video.
You seem to have missed the point of A Serious Man. It is simply one of the best movies ever made. A simple story about people. People we can actually relate with.
@@JoeMcMorrow-k7e Its about how we never really know whats going on with the world and that sometimes bad things will happen to you even when you havent done anything wrong yourself. We learn that despite that fact, we must nevertheless soldier on and continue to remain hopeful
100%. I think a lot of people miss many of the jokes because they are so low key. The dialog is fantastic, the acting great. It is probably the one I love more than any of the others. It is a hot dog. With mustard. But so much more.
I saw Millers Crossing once around 2003 with super high expectations and was so disappointed I don’t remember any of it. And I watched it sober and alone in the middle of the day. No idea what all the hype is around that movie.
A Serious Man is a deep look at someone trying to live his life right but everyone around him turns his life into chaos. He seeks help from his faith to understand why? The answers from the clergy are the key to understanding. It’s definitely a movie to be watched four or five times if you’re into deep movies. If not, this one may not be for everyone.
I see it as a transposition of the book of Job from the Bible set in the town where they themselves grew up, during the time period when they were growing up. The specifics of every detail of the movie are so exact. I see this every year or two and is my one daughter's favorite movie.
Fargo, Blood Simple, Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men are very good. Some of us really don't find their humor to be funny (big lew) or enjoyable (big lew). They're very stylized if you like that style then .. otherwise it's the big empty. Why is a lazy guy from California talking about his rug compelling and why is it not, at best, annoyingly amusing? They seem like they are making something great but it bores a lot of us. I know we are just not that bright and hip. You tell us we need to watch their movies a second time and only then will we understand. I can't stand some of them the first time around.
One of the things I love and appreciate about the Coen Brothers' films is that they make you think. Even something as fluffy as Raising Arizona has more depth than a cursory examination would indicate. Their films can be rewatched and appreciated for different reasons.
@@Charlesbaker3017 Raising Arizona is a masterpiece. Me, my wife, and our children have very different tastes in humor. Raising Arizona is one of the very few movies ever that can still make the whole family laugh! Not even O Brother can do that.
The Coen Brothers have made some great movies and some that I could live without. That being said Millers Crossing is one of the best movies ever made by anyone!!!
O Brother deserves to be way higher. For me it is #1. Epic cinematography, heartbreaking and goofy fun, razor sharp human observation and a soundtrack for the ages.
I so agree. I've never understood the weird bias against such an amazing movie. Best I can come up with, is a distaste for all things southern, by reviewers who can't separate their politics and their entertainment. I'm very much left of center, but can ignore unrelated viewpoints when evaluating entertainment, etc.
I saw "Blood Simple" when it first hit theaters. I was floored. The two things that stood out to me was that when you thought "Well, this can't any worse," then it does. Second, if you rewatch the movie you will see that the brothers play fair in the drama. They don't pull a rabbit out of a hat, all the clues and details are there for the audience to see.
In some ways it is my favorite. I had to see it a few times more because I missed a couple of key points. When it came out, someone that I worked with hated it so I knew it had to be good.
Was guided by Siskel and Ebert to watch it, back in the day. I was electrified. Over 40 years, learned that it was in the film noir tradition. It is genre. Doesn't make it less exciting. The final scene with the gunshots in the bathroom.... blew me away. Great movie on many, many levels.
One amazing story bit that is always missed is how everyone is so desperate to cover everything up, all leading up to the final showdown... but if you pay attention, the solution to the entire mystery was right there- under the fish. If the "murder" had just been reported and the police performed a normal investigation, the culprit would have easily been discovered and all plots uncovered.
The reason that this video works to collect viewers is that even at their worst, the Coens are great. There are no bad movies here, regardless of "conventional" wisdom -- they are just so good at their best that the "pretty goods" seem bad by comparison. The fact that "A Serious Man" and "Hail, Caesar!" are so misunderstood here speaks for itself.
A Serious Man looks like a Homecoming movie - the Coens are from MN. They even hired that actress that looks like Grace Slick of the Airplane( Jefferson). Great movie.
I have watched those top 3 more times then all the others combined and that is a lot. I love the Coen Brothers and wait for their next film like I used to wait for Kubrick's next film. I would watch Buster Scruggs again if I had Netflicks.
Had a serendipitous moment with the two of them at a reception back in the 80s. Told them how much I enjoyed their playful perspective. They said that they had been doing the same gags that they had done in skits in high school. Walked away convinced that I had just encountered understated genius, and knew they didn’t feel compelled make an impression.
Yeah, my least favorite Cohen brothers film by a mile. Thought it was terribly boring. Most of the rest of the list - of what I've watched - I can live with. And No Country is easily the best for me
"It seemed like us and it seemed like, well, our home. If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable and all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah."
My favorite scene in Miller’s Crossing is when there’s been yet another fuck up and Gabriel Byrne just rolls his eyes while letting out a very weary sigh.
The Man Who Wasn't There deserves a much higher rating than 10. The Guardian rates it at 4. I would have it at 3, behind Fargo and No Country For Old Men.
Raising Arizona will always be my number one. That was the hook for me. Surreal absurd satire in the late 80's when almost all movies were mostly...."Yeah..Ok...it's a movie"
A Serious Man is my favorite movie of all time! "isn't something you would ever watch twice" I have seen it probably 5 times and I want to watch it again.
I love it so much. I've watched it about 5 times as well. It's not for everybody and it certainly has a lot of competition on the list, so I don't care about the ranking. But, the reviewer (like a lot of people) mistake it for a biblical Job story. It's not. The main character's faith is never in question. Instead, it is about the search for meaning in what life throws at you. And the central message is delivered by the Korean father whose son cheats on this physics exam: "accept the mystery." Oh, and seeing the son get stoned at his bar mitzvah was amazing.
I think the Coens are particularly difficult to rank as there catalogue has such a range of different films and so people's preferences for styles will adjust their placement of the films. No 1 & 2 are definitely nailed on for me, the rest could be in any order depending on the criteria being used. Love their work and it feels harsh to judge one as "the worst" film they made.
Agreed. The fact that their worst film is vastly better than what Hollywood typically churns out makes it even more difficult. Most other directors (with a few exceptions) dream of making a film as good as the Coens' worst! While I doubt any two people would agree on the exact order, I think this video makes a good honest attempt at ranking them.
Lists are a pretty subjective animal, however I wouldn't argue many of these choices other than "Miller's Crossing". It's not the best movie in this lot, but in my mind's eye it's seriously one of the greatest character driven dialogue movies ever made, from start to finish!
I would happily watch A Serious Man not just twice, but at least once every year. Great black comedy. Fred Melamed alone is worth the price of admission.
I have to say that I watched 'A serious man' back lots of times and it has some great lines that stay with you, such as: 'accept the mystery' which i often say to my children.
I never understood why The Hudsucker Proxy gets so little love. It has everything I love in a Coens film, and I've seen them all. I get why it wasn't a big commercial success, but I think any Coen Brothers fan who hasn't seen it should check it out. Two others I think are underrated are The Man Who Wasn't There and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Blood Simple isn't as well known as it should be. All their early films are brilliant.
@@matteframe Inside Llewyn Davis is a never-ending hard watch with few special moments. Seems like it is a bit of a portrait of Dylan in 1961, Millers Crossing is good and of course Fargo and Old Men. I am not a big fan and their worst movie for me is Lebowski.
I would place Raising Arizona much higher. The voiceover at the end where Hi thinks into the future always gives me the sniffles and no other Cohen movie does that.
Spot on, except for Millers Crossing and O Brother… for me. You’re reasoning is on point. I cannot argue with you other than taste. Those two are near the top for me.
True Grit didn't need a remake? Call it an homage to the original, 40 years later. Wayne's Oscar winning role as a cob rough underdog hero was eclipsed by a 13 year old girl playing a 14 year old girl in the remake. An Oscar worthy performance by Steinfeld right out of the gate. The dialogue, sets, and costumes were transcendent and authentically convincing. The acting is impeccable. A milestone of the Old West genre. Obviously, in the top half of the Coen brother's films.
The fact that Fargo and Lebowski are original screenplays should rank them numbers 1 and 2. No Country for Old Men is very entertaining, but ultimately more a directing gig than fully a Coen Bros film. Same for True Grit. As I was watching your #2 pick of Fargo, I couldn't even think of what could possibly be #1 as I'd actually forgotten that "Old Men" was a Coen film. We've watched it twice, but revisit Fargo and Lebowski about once a year, and seem to quote one or the other pretty much every day. I'm positive they will be best remembered for those two films.
In my opinion, John Wayne sucked all the oxygen out of True Grit and the 1969 film was centered around Rooster. John Wayne is even featured on the poster. The whole movie feels like an ego trip with Wayne constantly trying to nudge Kim Darby out of the way. The Coen's True Grit, as you mentioned, puts the focus back on Mattie and the whole plot rotates around her motivations and determination. Not only do I think the 2010 film is better but I think it was a necessary remake.
Check my comments on the GOOD "True Grit". I agree with you 1000%! As I wrote, Wayne made a great story into "A John Wayne Movie". Yawn. It didn't take much for Wayne to push Kim Darby out of the way since she couldn't act worth a damn. You couldn't push Hailee Steinfeld out of the way with a Mack Truck! Great casting, true to the novel storytelling!
Setting aside the stuffy qualifications of a critics eye and recalling only the movies that moved my spirit, my top 5 would absolutely be Barton Fink, A Serious Man, The Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing, and Fargo. I'm not putting those in any order. Leaving out a few others feels bonkers, but 5 is 5, and these were the first 5, but I have to say, A Serious Man. So good. "Why does he make us feel the questions if he's not gonna give us any answers?" The Rabbi responds, "He hasn't told me." That's the film right there. Perfect angst.
Millers Crossing is my favorite. An intersection between their snappy dialog of the 90s and their violent side. But I honestly believe O Brother where art thou is their best.
I was stunned when I saw Blood Simple in NYC. After two hours of stomach gripping tension, there was a scene than brought a gut shriek from the audience, then wild laughter, then applause for its wild audaciousness. That is a jewel of a reaction from jaded New Yorkers!
My favorite Coen bros film, and #4 on my top 10 list of all time. I saw it with a friend in early '85 at a theater with about six other people. At the end one goof yelled "Worst shìt I've ever seen!" 🥴 I'm guessing you're talking about the "knife through the hand on the window sill" moment?
☝ I remember reading that big shot producer Joel Silver wanted to make Hudsucker Proxy with the Coens bc he liked the way they shot the shafts of light coming through the bullet holes.
Interesting that you compare Hudsucker (my favourite Coen Brothers film) with Brazil (my favourite Terry Gilliam Film), as both contain an almost identical long tracking shot in the Post Room. "It's a blue letter".
1. The Big Lebowski 2. Burn after Reading 3. No Country for Old men 4. Fargo 5. Inside Llewellyn Davis 6. Miller's Crossing 7. Hudsucker 8. Barton Fink Great content as always!
Two things: 1.It's pretty safe to say that the Coens possess one of the greatest film directing batting averages of all time. They've given us so many memorable, bizarre, funny and horrifying characters that people will be talking about for generations to come. 2. I understand why many people feel lukewarm about "A Serious Man", but it's actually one of my favorite comedies of all time and I have gladly watched it more than once. Here are some of the great lines/scenes that make me laugh everytime I think about them: "Fegel's going to kick the CRAAAAP out of me." Clive Park arguing with Larry about failing his physics exam and wanting to retake it. "Secret test...hush hush." And then Clive's Dad threatening to sue Larry for defamation after Clive attempted to bribe Larry. Unctuous Sy Abelman. Yuck. Rabbi Scott: "Just look at the parking lot, Larry...." Larry writing on the chalkboard with his flood water pants and awkwardly sticking his butt out. The guy's such a geek.
I agree. It was probably too intellectual and too subtle for this reviewer's bizarre and simplistic ranking. It bears watching multiple times and everything from the casting to the humor and the performances are top notch. One of the Coen's best, in my view. The Coen's are masters and A Serious Man is a top example.
@@URInTheVillage Yeah...you have to have exposure to Jewish, stoner, academic, and late 1960s sensibilities in order to really appreciate the movie. It's a bit niche in that way. I mean, I'm not Jewish, but can still appreciate the sort of Jewish humor of a "nebbishy" guy trying to do the right thing in his life, getting royally screwed over at every turn, trying to respond aggressively at times, but having absolutely no innate ability to do so. Subtle and funny stuff.
As someone trained in physics (mathematician now), I am often reminded of the scene where Larry explains to Clive "you can't really understand the physics without understanding the math, the math tells how it really works, that's the real thing. The stories I give you in class are just illustrative, they're like fables say, to help give you a picture. I mean... even I don't understand the dead cat, the math is how it really works." So perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the various interpretations of quantum mechanics (and physics more generally), and is just an utterly hilarious scene for me.
Blood Simple was my favourite movie for years from when I saw it in the 80's.....til I saw Raising Arizona (had no idea they were made by the same people)....til I saw Fargo....
Blood Simple was one of Pauline Kaels's favorite films of all time. She described it as -"the viewer has a God's eye viw of the entire plot, as the characters have no idea what is going on", and this is exactly the genial thing about Blood Simple.
For my money,Burn after Reading is terrific.Serious Man is brilliant.Saw it over 20 times but I admit it helps a lot if you are Jewish.I could identify with so much of 1960’s Minneapolis. Finally a big shoutout to True Grit and Intolerable Cruelty.Clooney makes that film.
Burn after reading is one of the best actual representations of government indifference when most people glorify alphabet agencies. Working for one and with many, I can tell you they had an amazing advisor. So good.
Miller's Crossing, with tremendous performances by Gabriel Byrne and Alberty Finney is #1. Closely followed by No Country for Old Men, with equally great acting by Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones.
I remember seeing Miller's Crossing for the first time and remembering a Dashiel Hammett novel called Red Harvest. Each has a protagonist who works both sides in a gang war. Both are exceptional. Both worth your time.
@beachcomberocean4859 @thomasrichmond2413 you guys are probably a step ahead of me but a great trilogy to watch is Yojimbo, Last Man Standing, and Fistful of Dollars (or was it a Few Dollars More?) also all have nods to both Hammett novels if I recall correctly.
To me "The Big Lebowski" is the number one...this movie has just the right mood and flair i can watch everytime . I really love all other Coen Movies but Lebowski i watched most often because of its really crazy art, music , dialogs, scenes and characters. Its such an easy and cool ride. The next movie i watched second often is O Brother. All the other Coen Movies are also great but Lebowski and O Brother are the ones i will watch for sure again and again...Bridges,Goodman, Buscemi, Clooney and Turturro are the actors who really work best in any Coen movie.
Hail Caesar was a much better comedy than Big Lebowski. The characters were more likeable and it had plot lines that were clear. I agree that O Brother is awesome, but Raising Arizona and even Burn After Reading were funnier than Lebowski. However, list are pretty subjective, so to each their own. One thing I think we can agree on though - Big Lebowski was definitely better than Ladykillers!
My ranking (seen all of their movies): 1. Fargo (10/10) 2. No Country for Old Men (10/10) 3. Barton Fink (10/10) 4. The Big Lebowski (10/10) 5. Miller’s Crossing (10/10) 6. O Brother, where art thou? (10/10) 7. A Serious Man (9/10) 8. Inside Llewyn Davis (9/10) 9. Blood Simple (9/10) 10. True Grit (9/10) 11. Burn after Reading (8/10) 12. The Man who wasn’t there (8/10) 13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (8/10) 14. The Hudsucker Proxy (7/10) 15. Raising Arizona (7/10) 16. The Ladykillers (7/10) 17. Intolerable Cruelty (7/10) 18. Hail Caesar! (7/10) Like you can see, I’m a big fan of their movies.
While I get that taste is subjective, I disagree with your ordering. But I do really love the Coen brothers. For me, "A Serious Man" is WAY underrated (maybe it's because of my Jewish suburban upbringing). Raising Arizona is SO good. Even though I am a huge Dylan fan, I did not care as much for Inside Llewyn Davis as you do. For me, it's far too understated. Also, O Brother is probably my favorite Coen brothers movie. No Country is definitely good, but I never got why it's so loved. I would put Blood Simple above it (and, of course, Fargo and O Brother).
A very solid job here, I really appreciate your acknowledgement of The Man Who Wasn’t There. Only changes I would make is to rank Raising Arizona higher and Inside Llewyn Davis much lower. Great insights.
I loved “Llewyn Davis.” Oscar Isaac was remarkable. I actually thought the movie would have a bit better if they’d shaved off the final 12 minutes or so. A better ending would have been the part where Llewyn drives past the town where his ex girlfriend & son live & looks back at the exit. Would he have stopped? I wish they would have ended it that way - ambiguous with a little hopefulness thrown in for good measure.
I loved Llewy Davis, and I think the ending was perfect: Llewy beat up in the alley of the Gaslight and Bob Dylan singing (and being discovered) inside. The perfect touch.
Finally, someone who says that the original True Grit is "excellent" - which it indeed was. The problem with the Coen remake was that several of the actors either mumble through author Porter's wonderful dialogue (e.g. Bridges) or do not give it nearly enough emphasis, seemingly reading it in monotone off the script (e.g. Damon).
1. Fargo The rest is largely a matter of opinion but Fargo is outstanding in every way and even manages to sucessfully bridge the comedy-thriller divide. It is a flawless masterpiece (great story, script, acting, cinematography, musical score, the lot!) and worthy to make the top ten in any list of movies. Big Lebowski is hilarious throughout and the Coen's best comedy (indeed, one of the best film comedies of all time). Other special mentions I'd give to Blood Simple (terrific but still overshadowed by Fargo obviously), A Serious Man (also very funny) and massively overlooked and underrated The Man Who Wasn't There. No Country for Old Men has some great sequences but it's not a patch on any of these. Now I love the Coens because they have made some of the finest films in modern times. At their best, they are unbeatable. However, I find that about half of their films are way too showy and sometimes just come across a rather empty exercises in style over substance. Hudsucker Proxy in particular is far too clever-clever for its own good. And their remakes of The Ladykillers and True Grit are mostly pointless and frankly unwatchable. But then no filmmaker (not even Billy Wilder, Sidney Lumet or Stanley Kubrick) ever got it right every time. Anyway, I'm off to track down Inside Llewyn Davis... thanks for the list and the heads up. (Somehow I've managed to miss that one altogether.)
@@bowtangey6830 Incidentally, I have since watched Inside Llewyn Davis. Hmmm. Not so good. What's it meant to be about exactly? A road movie that never gets anywhere. A comedy without any memorable jokes. Some kind of existentialist riff on Nietzsche's eternal recurrence where the protagonist's life seen as a loop becomes an infinite and infernal pit of misery. Or more straightforwardly, as some viewers have suggested, the emperor's new clothes and the Coens just cocking a snook to the critics and their own fans. Not sure but it did leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth. One thing of interest I did spot however is in the title which might be an anagram that works as a cryptic crossword clue if 'inside' is taken to mean 'unscramble' as it might in a crossword. On that basis Llewyn Davis potentially rearranges to become "Dylan Swivel". Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!
@@pchinnIII From Dr Strangelove onwards definitely agree. Middle to late Kubrick is all superb. Not sure I'd agree about his earlier films however with the exception of Paths of Glory which is flawless. The Killing and Lolita are certainly passable but hardly masterpieces. His first two films I've never actually seen but I know Kubrick generally distanced himself from them. And Spartacus is another oddity - not pure Kubrick obviously so maybe unfair to include it. All that said, I do acknowledge that Kubrick was an exceptional filmmaker who redefined genres and often tore up the rulebook altogether and that he made at least five films (Paths of Glory, Strangelove, 2001, Full Metal Jacket & Eyes Wide Shut are my picks - but arguably Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon too) that ought to make it into anyone's top ten!
One of the hallmarks of a Coen movie is how re-watchable it is. Miller's Crossing is a highly underrated example of a overused genre. Up there with Chinatown. No Country and True Grit are great because they don't F around with an already great story... they just tell it. Most people are aware of McCarthy's book, but if you haven't read Portis' classic you should. What I love about Fargo is the backdrop of Marge's late-stage pregnancy and the feeling that something is going to happen anytime now...
Seems like a pretty good sequenced list. Either Fargo or "No Country. . ." works as #1 for me. And Miller's Crossing is so good, as is Barton Fink, one of my favs. Raising Arizona and Lebowski are top tier comedies, in my view. Coens are iconic American directors up there with the best of them.
Solid list, I'm with you on about 90% of it. Inside Llewyn Davis is a film I've watched multiple times and I couldn't tell you why, which for me is part of it's genius.
1) Raising Arizona (greatest comedy ever made) 2) [tie] True Grit, Lebowski, Fargo, Oh, Brothet, No Country, Hudsucker 3) the rest that aren't: 17) Hail Caesar 18) Ladykillers Of my 20 greatest movies of all time, 8 or 9 would be Coen Bros. Greatest movie makers in history.
Your commentary is absolutely fantastic… and I have very strong opinions about which Coen brothers film is the best. I don’t agree with your list but your reasoning was so solid… Great job. Keep it up!
I am one of those weirdos who LOVES A Serious Man. It's not their greatest, but it's absolutely higher than Man Who Wasn't There. It's a much deeper movie too than the latter.
I have been ruined by these Coen brothers. They are so well read, tremendous researchers, fabulous story telling, develop characters, exposed reality that I cannot watch anything else. I don't go to the theater, I quit t.v., I'm ruined.
It's a shame you put so much effort into this video only for it to not even hit a thousand views yet. Your channel really deserves way more attention dude!
1 Fargo 2 Raising Arizona 3 Miller’s Crossing 4 The Big Lebowski 5 no Country for Old Men. What’s amazing is that most of these were not very successful at the box office.
Intolerable Cruelty, including that off-beat Title, IS IS IS their BEST written movie. WRITTEN movie - the Coen Bros. dug up actual research and mention that Oliphant v. Virginia case which was an actual pending case in Virginia; the dialogue that was "handed" to the B. Bob Thornton character about tight ends as a football player for that mid-western college team was classic football-speak that could fool any football fan! The train scenes, Las Vegas, this movie really travels well! Catherine Zeta Jones won a LOT of fans because of that movie!
Cedric's the Entertainer's recurring, "I'm nailin' yo ass.... Cuz I'm the ass nailer..." over his manic camcorder footage is worth the price of admission alone as a call-back/running gag.
![How the Coen Brothers Direct Comedy & Violence [Directing Styles Explained]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YGCnCYUghMo/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ve never understood why A Serious Man isn’t more popular in Coen discussions. It is so smart and tight.
It is. But it also is, in my opinion, the peak of that misanthropic streak, that the Coens have. It is a very good movie, but a very, very uncomfortable one for many - me included.
Agreed. I know the narrator questions why anybody would watch it more than once, but I've seen it many times. So. Good. Every. Time.
One of my favorites. Seems like the one closest to their experiences.
Film Ranker says, "It's something you would never watch twice." True that. I've seen it and clips of it scores of times to fully understand it. Film Ranker has got to open up his Old Testament and brush up on his Yiddish songbook to really be able to appreciate some of the depth of spirituality and symbolism in _A Serious Man_ .
I got way more out of the second viewing. The comedy shines through brighter IMO.
'Serious Man' has one of the best movie endings ever. The bully sees the tornado coming and there is nothing that can be done about it. We hear 'Somebody to Love' on the nerd kid's scratchy device and then the song moves into deep full-blown sound as the credits start rolling. So, so powerful.
The Goy's Teeth - the second rabbi, is priceless.
Placing Raising Arizona at #12 is laughable. This is one of the best comedies ever made. Solid performances and funny from beginning to end.
It has hands down the best chase scene ever made.
Yes, absolutely. But it's always been underrated. I collect movie posters in a major way (a dealer, in fact); always astounded by how little interest there is in the Raising Arizona poster.
In my mind Raising Arizona is a prequel to My name is Earl, which makes it even more awesome in my opinion (if that's even possible?)
Putting that at #12 does sound harsh at first blush, but when you look at whats ranked higher, the only one I'd really disagree with is Llewyn Davis.
concur!
O Brother should be in the top 5. One of the most multi-dimensional comedies of all time, some new insight comes to the surface with every re-watch. My personal favorite movie.
The Klan scenes?……
@@wallacegrommet9343 what about them
Agree!
care for some gopher Everitt?
“Well I’ll only be 82!”
A Serious Man at 13 is absoluley criminal. Top 5, if not top 3, if not top 2.
If not top 1
I’m actually a huge fan of “A Serious Man”, I’ve seen it more than twice!! 3 or 4 times… it gets funnier, and funnier each time. The last shot in the movie is SOOOO COOL. Great ending.
Completely agree. Way too low.
I have actually shown the Opening seen to a Freshmen seminar class for several years. You don't know what has just happened and you don't know what is going to happen. Sets the whole mood for the rest of the film. Should be well above LLewyn Davis.
Agreed. The last shot of the movie is so powerful. Unforgettable really.
Miller's Crossing is my favourite...an awesome movie, it came out the same year as Goodfellows and Godfather 3 was kind of forgotten about, but is a brilliant mob movie with a terrific script, cinematography and performances.
We only wants yeggs what's been to college.
Absolutely. One of Gabriel Byrne's best films of his career.
Kids! Ya gotta be firm!
State of grace and king of New York came out that year too. 1990 was a great year for gangster movies.
A Serious man is one of the best films ever made. I hate this list lol.
It's a film that keeps popping back into my head at random moments. It's got depth, and keeps you questioning long after the credits roll. It's one I've watched more than once and will surely watch again despite the claim of this video.
This list was made by someone who hates the Coen brothers
I agree. I love the film and watched it at least half a dozen times.
Here-f#@&ing-here.
Isolated, self-loathing, success. A worthy sense of community. We got history.
I love A SERIOUS MAN and have seen it often. No issues with the film. A classic!
You seem to have missed the point of A Serious Man. It is simply one of the best movies ever made. A simple story about people. People we can actually relate with.
I confess I have never heard of it but going to watch it.
@@JoeMcMorrow-k7e Its about how we never really know whats going on with the world and that sometimes bad things will happen to you even when you havent done anything wrong yourself. We learn that despite that fact, we must nevertheless soldier on and continue to remain hopeful
Miller's Crossing always gets done dirty in movie rankings. It's a really excellent movie and one of the Coen Brother's best.
100%. I think a lot of people miss many of the jokes because they are so low key. The dialog is fantastic, the acting great. It is probably the one I love more than any of the others. It is a hot dog. With mustard. But so much more.
I saw Millers Crossing once around 2003 with super high expectations and was so disappointed I don’t remember any of it. And I watched it sober and alone in the middle of the day. No idea what all the hype is around that movie.
@@mst3k54 It's best seen when one has no expectations.
@@marcalberts6703 "Oldest reason in the book." "There are nicer places to drink."
One of the best main themes in the score... right up there with The Mission and The Godfather. Beautiful cinematography by Barry Sonnenfeld.
A Serious Man is a deep look at someone trying to live his life right but everyone around him turns his life into chaos. He seeks help from his faith to understand why? The answers from the clergy are the key to understanding. It’s definitely a movie to be watched four or five times if you’re into deep movies. If not, this one may not be for everyone.
I see it as a transposition of the book of Job from the Bible set in the town where they themselves grew up, during the time period when they were growing up. The specifics of every detail of the movie are so exact. I see this every year or two and is my one daughter's favorite movie.
The Coen Bros are about the most interesting film makers in the USA. They are fearless.
Fargo, Blood Simple, Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men are very good. Some of us really don't find their humor to be funny (big lew) or enjoyable (big lew). They're very stylized if you like that style then .. otherwise it's the big empty. Why is a lazy guy from California talking about his rug compelling and why is it not, at best, annoyingly amusing?
They seem like they are making something great but it bores a lot of us. I know we are just not that bright and hip. You tell us we need to watch their movies a second time and only then will we understand. I can't stand some of them the first time around.
You never smoked pot did you😂@oppothumbs1
@@oppothumbs1 i liked Big Lew but i think it would have been better without the F-Bombs
One of the things I love and appreciate about the Coen Brothers' films is that they make you think. Even something as fluffy as Raising Arizona has more depth than a cursory examination would indicate. Their films can be rewatched and appreciated for different reasons.
A crime against humanity was committed once you placed A Serious Man at the thirteenth spot. I've watched this masterpiece, at least, five times.
The best thing is that any and every ranking is correct, because they have about 15 great films and 5 masterpieces.
Absoultely. Even the ones at the lowest end are good to great.
Besides Intolerable cruelty and burn after reading
I can understand any rankings
@@ruly8153 Burn after reading took a few viewings for me, but eventually became one of my favorites.
Please name the masterpieces..
@@Charlesbaker3017
Raising Arizona is a masterpiece.
Me, my wife, and our children have very different tastes in humor. Raising Arizona is one of the very few movies ever that can still make the whole family laugh! Not even O Brother can do that.
Sir Roger Deakins: this dude really ties the room together.
Kenney, please.
I watched a Serious Man like a dozen times and I'm not tired of it at all. That movie is great and it was perfect for the time it came out
Great list, but agree completely on Serious Man. To me, top 3, even though I adore everything in this top ten.
This is the exact comment I came here looking for, I've probably seen it 6 or 7 times, Top 5 coen brothers Film for me
@@NoahAbrams01 Thank you so much :)
I'm with you. At least a dozen times for me.
I agree. I'm a little biased, as my son and I and many of my friends were extras in that movie.
The Coen Brothers have made some great movies and some that I could live without. That being said Millers Crossing is one of the best movies ever made by anyone!!!
Miller's Crossing is the greatest mafia movie ever made.
Better than Godfather.
Yeah. I said it.
And you said it right!!!
O Brother deserves to be way higher. For me it is #1. Epic cinematography, heartbreaking and goofy fun, razor sharp human observation and a soundtrack for the ages.
“ we ain’t one at a timing it boys, we’s mass communicating! “
I so agree. I've never understood the weird bias against such an amazing movie. Best I can come up with, is a distaste for all things southern, by reviewers who can't separate their politics and their entertainment. I'm very much left of center, but can ignore unrelated viewpoints when evaluating entertainment, etc.
i do agree with u
I went to see the concert of the music that toured afterwards. Ralph Stanley singing Oh Death made me cry, really cry.
FARGO
I saw "Blood Simple" when it first hit theaters. I was floored. The two things that stood out to me was that when you thought "Well, this can't any worse," then it does. Second, if you rewatch the movie you will see that the brothers play fair in the drama. They don't pull a rabbit out of a hat, all the clues and details are there for the audience to see.
In some ways it is my favorite. I had to see it a few times more because I missed a couple of key points. When it came out, someone that I worked with hated it so I knew it had to be good.
Was guided by Siskel and Ebert to watch it, back in the day. I was electrified. Over 40 years, learned that it was in the film noir tradition. It is genre. Doesn't make it less exciting. The final scene with the gunshots in the bathroom.... blew me away. Great movie on many, many levels.
Blood Simple has the most M Emmet Walsh performance ever.
One amazing story bit that is always missed is how everyone is so desperate to cover everything up, all leading up to the final showdown... but if you pay attention, the solution to the entire mystery was right there- under the fish. If the "murder" had just been reported and the police performed a normal investigation, the culprit would have easily been discovered and all plots uncovered.
Dad took me to see it when I was 15. Great movie.
The reason that this video works to collect viewers is that even at their worst, the Coens are great. There are no bad movies here, regardless of "conventional" wisdom -- they are just so good at their best that the "pretty goods" seem bad by comparison.
The fact that "A Serious Man" and "Hail, Caesar!" are so misunderstood here speaks for itself.
A Serious Man looks like a Homecoming movie - the Coens are from MN. They even hired that actress that looks like Grace Slick of the Airplane( Jefferson). Great movie.
No Country, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski are impossible to rank. They all take #1. Also, Burn After Reading is soooo underrated
Those are the four I would highlight as well.
I have watched those top 3 more times then all the others combined and that is a lot. I love the Coen Brothers and wait for their next film like I used to wait for Kubrick's next film. I would watch Buster Scruggs again if I had Netflicks.
Just some of the finest performances on film, Barry Corbin scene in No country, as well as Tommy lee, John Goodwin should have won an oscar.
Agreed. Burn is much underrated.
agreed > would put BAR in top 5 > Malkovich was perfect
Had a serendipitous moment with the two of them at a reception back in the 80s. Told them how much I enjoyed their playful perspective. They said that they had been doing the same gags that they had done in skits in high school. Walked away convinced that I had just encountered understated genius, and knew they didn’t feel compelled make an impression.
Inside Llewyn Davis #2? Are they serious? It made so little impression on me-I know I saw it, but I don’t even remember it.
You mean he didn't ask you when he gave his personal rankings?! Jeez. .
Yeah, my least favorite Cohen brothers film by a mile. Thought it was terribly boring. Most of the rest of the list - of what I've watched - I can live with. And No Country is easily the best for me
Anyone that puts Inside Llewyn Davis at #3 and Raising Arizona outside of the top 10 can't be taken seriously
its 3 not 2
@@JFranz1981 If that was your least favorite, then you must not have seen either "Intolerable Cruelty" or "The Ladykillers".
I have watched "A Serious Man" more than once.
Are you serious, man?
Raising Arizona is now a Christmas movie viewing tradition with the family........ definitely a top 5 on my list
"It seemed like us and it seemed like, well, our home. If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable and all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah."
when Hi is startled awake in one scene he says "Merry Christmas"
I said to myself, "If 'No Country for Old Men' is not #1, I am moving on immediately." Great job. Thanks for posting.
The editing was seriously flawed
Miller's Crossing has the greatest scene of all gangster films, when assassins come for Albert Finney
Agreed, the sequence is shot and edited to perfection
My favorite scene in Miller’s Crossing is when there’s been yet another fuck up and Gabriel Byrne just rolls his eyes while letting out a very weary sigh.
With Danny Boy playing. It's a masterpiece. The old man sure is an artist with the Thompson
@@marcalberts6703 no doubt
The Man Who Wasn't There deserves a much higher rating than 10. The Guardian rates it at 4. I would have it at 3, behind Fargo and No Country For Old Men.
Raising Arizona will always be my number one. That was the hook for me. Surreal absurd satire in the late 80's when almost all movies were mostly...."Yeah..Ok...it's a movie"
I’ve watched “A Serious Man” 3 times. Love it!!!
A Serious Man is my favorite movie of all time! "isn't something you would ever watch twice" I have seen it probably 5 times and I want to watch it again.
A Serious Man is a serious film done with a wink. I've watched it more than once, if for no other reason than the wonderful supporting cast.
I love it so much. I've watched it about 5 times as well. It's not for everybody and it certainly has a lot of competition on the list, so I don't care about the ranking. But, the reviewer (like a lot of people) mistake it for a biblical Job story. It's not. The main character's faith is never in question. Instead, it is about the search for meaning in what life throws at you. And the central message is delivered by the Korean father whose son cheats on this physics exam: "accept the mystery." Oh, and seeing the son get stoned at his bar mitzvah was amazing.
I think the Coens are particularly difficult to rank as there catalogue has such a range of different films and so people's preferences for styles will adjust their placement of the films. No 1 & 2 are definitely nailed on for me, the rest could be in any order depending on the criteria being used. Love their work and it feels harsh to judge one as "the worst" film they made.
I feel like this video was too harsh as well, lots of criticism I didn't agree with.
Agreed. The fact that their worst film is vastly better than what Hollywood typically churns out makes it even more difficult. Most other directors (with a few exceptions) dream of making a film as good as the Coens' worst! While I doubt any two people would agree on the exact order, I think this video makes a good honest attempt at ranking them.
Dito. The bottom 3 are definitely nailed for me also
That’s very astute. Coen Bros films are each distinctive in their own ways. No two are like another
Lists are a pretty subjective animal, however I wouldn't argue many of these choices other than "Miller's Crossing". It's not the best movie in this lot, but in my mind's eye it's seriously one of the greatest character driven dialogue movies ever made, from start to finish!
I would happily watch A Serious Man not just twice, but at least once every year. Great black comedy. Fred Melamed alone is worth the price of admission.
I have to say that I watched 'A serious man' back lots of times and it has some great lines that stay with you, such as: 'accept the mystery' which i often say to my children.
I never understood why The Hudsucker Proxy gets so little love. It has everything I love in a Coens film, and I've seen them all. I get why it wasn't a big commercial success, but I think any Coen Brothers fan who hasn't seen it should check it out. Two others I think are underrated are The Man Who Wasn't There and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Blood Simple isn't as well known as it should be. All their early films are brilliant.
Yeah, it's alot better than Burn After Reading.
Yesssss
@@matteframe Inside Llewyn Davis is a never-ending hard watch with few special moments. Seems like it is a bit of a portrait of Dylan in 1961, Millers Crossing is good and of course Fargo and Old Men. I am not a big fan and their worst movie for me is Lebowski.
cool story@@oppothumbs1
Hudsucker Proxy is my favorite Coen Brothers film. “You know, for kids.”
I would place Raising Arizona much higher. The voiceover at the end where Hi thinks into the future always gives me the sniffles and no other Cohen movie does that.
There are no worst Coen Brothers Movies. There are only less-best.
Spot on, except for Millers Crossing and O Brother… for me. You’re reasoning is on point. I cannot argue with you other than taste. Those two are near the top for me.
True Grit didn't need a remake? Call it an homage to the original, 40 years later. Wayne's Oscar winning role as a cob rough underdog hero was eclipsed by a 13 year old girl playing a 14 year old girl in the remake. An Oscar worthy performance by Steinfeld right out of the gate. The dialogue, sets, and costumes were transcendent and authentically convincing. The acting is impeccable. A milestone of the Old West genre. Obviously, in the top half of the Coen brother's films.
If he said that he's dead-wrong. Their remake wildly improves on the over-rated original.
Until I watched this list I never realized how many films the Coen Brothers made. What would Hollywood be without them?
Good to see No Country... at #1. An incredible film - excellent in every way.
Brilliant in every aspect.
The fact that Fargo and Lebowski are original screenplays should rank them numbers 1 and 2. No Country for Old Men is very entertaining, but ultimately more a directing gig than fully a Coen Bros film. Same for True Grit. As I was watching your #2 pick of Fargo, I couldn't even think of what could possibly be #1 as I'd actually forgotten that "Old Men" was a Coen film. We've watched it twice, but revisit Fargo and Lebowski about once a year, and seem to quote one or the other pretty much every day. I'm positive they will be best remembered for those two films.
The gas station scene in No Country is remarkable
And terrifying…..
Yes it is.
In my opinion, John Wayne sucked all the oxygen out of True Grit and the 1969 film was centered around Rooster. John Wayne is even featured on the poster. The whole movie feels like an ego trip with Wayne constantly trying to nudge Kim Darby out of the way. The Coen's True Grit, as you mentioned, puts the focus back on Mattie and the whole plot rotates around her motivations and determination. Not only do I think the 2010 film is better but I think it was a necessary remake.
John Wayne was better! Coen's True Grit was better, so pretty much a wash for the remake.
Check my comments on the GOOD "True Grit". I agree with you 1000%! As I wrote, Wayne made a great story into "A John Wayne Movie". Yawn. It didn't take much for Wayne to push Kim Darby out of the way since she couldn't act worth a damn. You couldn't push Hailee Steinfeld out of the way with a Mack Truck! Great casting, true to the novel storytelling!
Setting aside the stuffy qualifications of a critics eye and recalling only the movies that moved my spirit, my top 5 would absolutely be Barton Fink, A Serious Man, The Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing, and Fargo. I'm not putting those in any order. Leaving out a few others feels bonkers, but 5 is 5, and these were the first 5, but I have to say, A Serious Man. So good.
"Why does he make us feel the questions if he's not gonna give us any answers?" The Rabbi responds, "He hasn't told me." That's the film right there. Perfect angst.
Millers Crossing is my favorite. An intersection between their snappy dialog of the 90s and their violent side. But I honestly believe O Brother where art thou is their best.
The Coen Brothers never had a worst film. All their films are brilliant
No Country For Old Men is a perfect movie. Jaime Barden's performance as a villain is brilliant.
Who is Jaime Barden? 😂😂😂
It's a fantastic novel as well, and that's the reason it's a great movie.
I was stunned when I saw Blood Simple in NYC. After two hours of stomach gripping tension, there was a scene than brought a gut shriek from the audience, then wild laughter, then applause for its wild audaciousness. That is a jewel of a reaction from jaded New Yorkers!
My favorite Coen bros film, and #4 on my top 10 list of all time. I saw it with a friend in early '85 at a theater with about six other people. At the end one goof yelled "Worst shìt I've ever seen!" 🥴
I'm guessing you're talking about the "knife through the hand on the window sill" moment?
@@chiefscheider Thoroughly twisted. Then followed by multiple gun shots though the wall! Very Cohen brothers.
☝
I remember reading that big shot producer Joel Silver wanted to make Hudsucker Proxy with the Coens bc he liked the way they shot the shafts of light coming through the bullet holes.
Interesting that you compare Hudsucker (my favourite Coen Brothers film) with Brazil (my favourite Terry Gilliam Film), as both contain an almost identical long tracking shot in the Post Room. "It's a blue letter".
yes, they're brothers from another mother. I love them both but never noticed the parallels.
1. fargo
2. Fargo
3. FARGO
What is number 4?
@@filmranker6092 Lolol
4. FAARRRRGOO
5. FARGO
6. FaRgO
7. The Big Lewboski
8. No Country for Old Men
(Both still amazing but no fargos)
Y e s
The LadyKillers was the first Coen Brothers movie that I considered a dud. I went back and watched the original LadyKillers, and it was brilliant.
But Hudsucker is my favorite Coen brothers movie.
I strongly share your sentiments. As much as I love Hudsucker Proxy, it's extraordinary hard for me to pick a favorite.
I've seen a serious man three times, almost my favourite cohen movie lol
I agree. The suffering and joy of being jewish.
*Coen
For some reason Burn After Reading to me is a really funny movie. Even though people might not rank it anywhere near the top.
No loved burn after reading,it's great
1. The Big Lebowski
2. Burn after Reading
3. No Country for Old men
4. Fargo
5. Inside Llewellyn Davis
6. Miller's Crossing
7. Hudsucker
8. Barton Fink
Great content as always!
i'm glad over people also really rate burn after reading
At last, someone who understands conpemporary art.
Two things:
1.It's pretty safe to say that the Coens possess one of the greatest film directing batting averages of all time. They've given us so many memorable, bizarre, funny and horrifying characters that people will be talking about for generations to come.
2. I understand why many people feel lukewarm about "A Serious Man", but it's actually one of my favorite comedies of all time and I have gladly watched it more than once. Here are some of the great lines/scenes that make me laugh everytime I think about them:
"Fegel's going to kick the CRAAAAP out of me."
Clive Park arguing with Larry about failing his physics exam and wanting to retake it. "Secret test...hush hush." And then Clive's Dad threatening to sue Larry for defamation after Clive attempted to bribe Larry.
Unctuous Sy Abelman. Yuck.
Rabbi Scott: "Just look at the parking lot, Larry...."
Larry writing on the chalkboard with his flood water pants and awkwardly sticking his butt out. The guy's such a geek.
Yep, should for sure be right at the top !
I agree. It was probably too intellectual and too subtle for this reviewer's bizarre and simplistic ranking. It bears watching multiple times and everything from the casting to the humor and the performances are top notch. One of the Coen's best, in my view. The Coen's are masters and A Serious Man is a top example.
@@URInTheVillage I also wonder if people who are, or are well versed in Jewish law & traditions end up liking it so much more ?
@@URInTheVillage Yeah...you have to have exposure to Jewish, stoner, academic, and late 1960s sensibilities in order to really appreciate the movie. It's a bit niche in that way. I mean, I'm not Jewish, but can still appreciate the sort of Jewish humor of a "nebbishy" guy trying to do the right thing in his life, getting royally screwed over at every turn, trying to respond aggressively at times, but having absolutely no innate ability to do so. Subtle and funny stuff.
As someone trained in physics (mathematician now), I am often reminded of the scene where Larry explains to Clive "you can't really understand the physics without understanding the math, the math tells how it really works, that's the real thing. The stories I give you in class are just illustrative, they're like fables say, to help give you a picture. I mean... even I don't understand the dead cat, the math is how it really works."
So perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the various interpretations of quantum mechanics (and physics more generally), and is just an utterly hilarious scene for me.
Blood Simple was my favourite movie for years from when I saw it in the 80's.....til I saw Raising Arizona (had no idea they were made by the same people)....til I saw Fargo....
Blood Simple was one of Pauline Kaels's favorite films of all time. She described it as -"the viewer has a God's eye viw of the entire plot, as the characters have no idea what is going on", and this is exactly the genial thing about Blood Simple.
For my money,Burn after Reading is terrific.Serious Man is brilliant.Saw it over 20 times but I admit it helps a lot if you are Jewish.I could identify with so much of 1960’s Minneapolis. Finally a big shoutout to True Grit and Intolerable Cruelty.Clooney makes that film.
I agree about A Serious Man. I'm NOT Jewish but I LOVED it ! So many very funny scenes ......I'd love to see it again
6. Miller’s Crossing
5. Barton Fink
4. Fargo
3. Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
2. No Country for Old Men
1. The Big Lebowski
They captured Holly Hunter in her irresistibly cute but edgy prime
Burn after reading is one of the best actual representations of government indifference when most people glorify alphabet agencies. Working for one and with many, I can tell you they had an amazing advisor. So good.
"In The Loop" is another great govt. film. Some of the funniest dialogue ever filmed.
Miller's Crossing, with tremendous performances by Gabriel Byrne and Alberty Finney is #1. Closely followed by No Country for Old Men, with equally great acting by Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones.
Miller's Crossing is a perfect film.
I remember seeing Miller's Crossing for the first time and remembering a Dashiel Hammett novel called Red Harvest. Each has a protagonist who works both sides in a gang war. Both are exceptional. Both worth your time.
You may be thinking of "The Glass Key" by Hammett. Both novels are excellent, as is "Miller's Crossing."
It’s actually a cross between the two novels. The story is close to Glass Key but the feel and violence is pure Red Harvest.
@beachcomberocean4859 @thomasrichmond2413 you guys are probably a step ahead of me but a great trilogy to watch is Yojimbo, Last Man Standing, and Fistful of Dollars (or was it a Few Dollars More?) also all have nods to both Hammett novels if I recall correctly.
To me "The Big Lebowski" is the number one...this movie has just the right mood and flair i can watch everytime . I really love all other Coen Movies but Lebowski i watched most often because of its really crazy art, music , dialogs, scenes and characters. Its such an easy and cool ride. The next movie i watched second often is O Brother. All the other Coen Movies are also great but Lebowski and O Brother are the ones i will watch for sure again and again...Bridges,Goodman, Buscemi, Clooney and Turturro are the actors who really work best in any Coen movie.
I hate it - only Coen film I actively dislike. And I've had to sit through it THREE times 😖
Hail Caesar was a much better comedy than Big Lebowski. The characters were more likeable and it had plot lines that were clear. I agree that O Brother is awesome, but Raising Arizona and even Burn After Reading were funnier than Lebowski. However, list are pretty subjective, so to each their own.
One thing I think we can agree on though - Big Lebowski was definitely better than Ladykillers!
It's the only Coen film that I watch repeatedly. I know the dialogue by rote. It's just so much fun.
@@johnforde7735 yes and so many easter eggs and crazy connections through the dialogs..i really can find everytime a new surprise.
you mean... coitus???
A. Great insights
B. Thanks so much for using your human voice.
My ranking (seen all of their movies):
1. Fargo (10/10)
2. No Country for Old Men (10/10)
3. Barton Fink (10/10)
4. The Big Lebowski (10/10)
5. Miller’s Crossing (10/10)
6. O Brother, where art thou? (10/10)
7. A Serious Man (9/10)
8. Inside Llewyn Davis (9/10)
9. Blood Simple (9/10)
10. True Grit (9/10)
11. Burn after Reading (8/10)
12. The Man who wasn’t there (8/10)
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (8/10)
14. The Hudsucker Proxy (7/10)
15. Raising Arizona (7/10)
16. The Ladykillers (7/10)
17. Intolerable Cruelty (7/10)
18. Hail Caesar! (7/10)
Like you can see, I’m a big fan of their movies.
yes
Very good list. I would move Barton Fink and O Brother lower by several slots each. But it's all very subjective of course.
Burn after reading no 14 says all about them. This movie is incredible and just rated 14 here. The coens are simply great.
Without looking I am saying top five Fargo, Raising Arizona, Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing and Blood Simple
Not bad...you got BS, BL, and Fargo
Love most of what Joel & Ethan have done. Good rundown, but I would have ranked Raising Arizona a lot higher. It's in my top 10 of best comedies.
Raising Arizona higher !! :) Great job on all your videos though - keep em’ coming.
While I get that taste is subjective, I disagree with your ordering. But I do really love the Coen brothers. For me, "A Serious Man" is WAY underrated (maybe it's because of my Jewish suburban upbringing). Raising Arizona is SO good. Even though I am a huge Dylan fan, I did not care as much for Inside Llewyn Davis as you do. For me, it's far too understated. Also, O Brother is probably my favorite Coen brothers movie. No Country is definitely good, but I never got why it's so loved. I would put Blood Simple above it (and, of course, Fargo and O Brother).
A very solid job here, I really appreciate your acknowledgement of The Man Who Wasn’t There. Only changes I would make is to rank Raising Arizona higher and Inside Llewyn Davis much lower. Great insights.
Agree definitely on Davis. That was nothing to watch a second time.
Inside Llewyn Davis is the only Coen brother movie I quit watching.
I loved “Llewyn Davis.” Oscar Isaac was remarkable. I actually thought the movie would have a bit better if they’d shaved off the final 12 minutes or so. A better ending would have been the part where Llewyn drives past the town where his ex girlfriend & son live & looks back at the exit. Would he have stopped? I wish they would have ended it that way - ambiguous with a little hopefulness thrown in for good measure.
I loved Llewy Davis, and I think the ending was perfect: Llewy beat up in the alley of the Gaslight and Bob Dylan singing (and being discovered) inside. The perfect touch.
Finally, someone who says that the original True Grit is "excellent" - which it indeed was. The problem with the Coen remake was that several of the actors either mumble through author Porter's wonderful dialogue (e.g. Bridges) or do not give it nearly enough emphasis, seemingly reading it in monotone off the script (e.g. Damon).
The author was Portis (Charles). And I agree the original is excellent, but Hailee Steinfeld's Mattie completely outshines Kim Darby.
Man, what a lineup, at home back from the gym and cant get out of the car, well done! I completely agree with your #1
Thanks! They really are crazy talented.
Lebowski and Arizona. Two of my favorites.
I like this list. Would’ve certainly had a serious man a lot higher, but that’s my only complaint
Yeah I agree - It would be number 1 or 2 for me (competing for that top spot with Fargo). No Country at number 3.
I've watched A serious Man several times. It's hysterical ! (and I'm not even Jewish).....I wanna watch it again !
History will prove Hail, Caesar as one of their greatest achievements
1. Fargo
The rest is largely a matter of opinion but Fargo is outstanding in every way and even manages to sucessfully bridge the comedy-thriller divide. It is a flawless masterpiece (great story, script, acting, cinematography, musical score, the lot!) and worthy to make the top ten in any list of movies.
Big Lebowski is hilarious throughout and the Coen's best comedy (indeed, one of the best film comedies of all time). Other special mentions I'd give to Blood Simple (terrific but still overshadowed by Fargo obviously), A Serious Man (also very funny) and massively overlooked and underrated The Man Who Wasn't There. No Country for Old Men has some great sequences but it's not a patch on any of these.
Now I love the Coens because they have made some of the finest films in modern times. At their best, they are unbeatable. However, I find that about half of their films are way too showy and sometimes just come across a rather empty exercises in style over substance. Hudsucker Proxy in particular is far too clever-clever for its own good. And their remakes of The Ladykillers and True Grit are mostly pointless and frankly unwatchable. But then no filmmaker (not even Billy Wilder, Sidney Lumet or Stanley Kubrick) ever got it right every time.
Anyway, I'm off to track down Inside Llewyn Davis... thanks for the list and the heads up. (Somehow I've managed to miss that one altogether.)
I agree with you. 🌟1. FARGO.🌟
@@bowtangey6830 Incidentally, I have since watched Inside Llewyn Davis. Hmmm. Not so good. What's it meant to be about exactly? A road movie that never gets anywhere. A comedy without any memorable jokes. Some kind of existentialist riff on Nietzsche's eternal recurrence where the protagonist's life seen as a loop becomes an infinite and infernal pit of misery. Or more straightforwardly, as some viewers have suggested, the emperor's new clothes and the Coens just cocking a snook to the critics and their own fans. Not sure but it did leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth. One thing of interest I did spot however is in the title which might be an anagram that works as a cryptic crossword clue if 'inside' is taken to mean 'unscramble' as it might in a crossword. On that basis Llewyn Davis potentially rearranges to become "Dylan Swivel". Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!
You are wrong about Kubrick. He got it right every single time.
@@pchinnIII From Dr Strangelove onwards definitely agree. Middle to late Kubrick is all superb. Not sure I'd agree about his earlier films however with the exception of Paths of Glory which is flawless. The Killing and Lolita are certainly passable but hardly masterpieces. His first two films I've never actually seen but I know Kubrick generally distanced himself from them. And Spartacus is another oddity - not pure Kubrick obviously so maybe unfair to include it. All that said, I do acknowledge that Kubrick was an exceptional filmmaker who redefined genres and often tore up the rulebook altogether and that he made at least five films (Paths of Glory, Strangelove, 2001, Full Metal Jacket & Eyes Wide Shut are my picks - but arguably Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon too) that ought to make it into anyone's top ten!
Loved Burn After Reading but my all time three favs are Big Lebowski, Fargo and No Country For Old Men
One of the hallmarks of a Coen movie is how re-watchable it is. Miller's Crossing is a highly underrated example of a overused genre. Up there with Chinatown. No Country and True Grit are great because they don't F around with an already great story... they just tell it. Most people are aware of McCarthy's book, but if you haven't read Portis' classic you should. What I love about Fargo is the backdrop of Marge's late-stage pregnancy and the feeling that something is going to happen anytime now...
Top 3
3. No country for old men
2. The big Lebowski
1. Fargo
That's my top 3 as well
Seems like a pretty good sequenced list. Either Fargo or "No Country. . ." works as #1 for me. And Miller's Crossing is so good, as is Barton Fink, one of my favs. Raising Arizona and Lebowski are top tier comedies, in my view. Coens are iconic American directors up there with the best of them.
“Barton Fink” is one of my favorites. The art direction alone is worth the price of admission.
@@emmalancaster2013Agree. I like everything about that flim.
Solid list, I'm with you on about 90% of it. Inside Llewyn Davis is a film I've watched multiple times and I couldn't tell you why, which for me is part of it's genius.
1) Raising Arizona (greatest comedy ever made)
2) [tie] True Grit, Lebowski, Fargo, Oh, Brothet, No Country, Hudsucker
3) the rest that aren't:
17) Hail Caesar
18) Ladykillers
Of my 20 greatest movies of all time, 8 or 9 would be Coen Bros. Greatest movie makers in history.
Your commentary is absolutely fantastic… and I have very strong opinions about which Coen brothers film is the best. I don’t agree with your list but your reasoning was so solid… Great job. Keep it up!
Remember, lists don't really matter. But it shows how great the Coen's body of work is that "Oh Brother, Where Are Thou" only comes in at number 11.
Blood simple is brilliant and must be seen.
All the folks not putting it in the top 5 of their Coen list is a fool.
I am one of those weirdos who LOVES A Serious Man. It's not their greatest, but it's absolutely higher than Man Who Wasn't There. It's a much deeper movie too than the latter.
I have been ruined by these Coen brothers. They are so well read, tremendous researchers, fabulous story telling, develop characters, exposed reality that I cannot watch anything else. I don't go to the theater, I quit t.v., I'm ruined.
I thought Brad Pitt was spectacular and definitely should have at least been nominated for an Oscar in “Burn After Reading.”
It's a shame you put so much effort into this video only for it to not even hit a thousand views yet. Your channel really deserves way more attention dude!
Thanks so much!
The youtube algorithm brought me here. One more subscriber.
1 Fargo
2 Raising Arizona
3 Miller’s Crossing
4 The Big Lebowski
5 no Country for Old Men.
What’s amazing is that most of these were not very successful at the box office.
Intolerable Cruelty is VERY underrated- a wonderful romantic/ anti- romantic comedy. Fantastic dialogue and editing.
Intolerable Cruelty, including that off-beat Title, IS IS IS their BEST written movie. WRITTEN movie - the Coen Bros. dug up actual research and mention that Oliphant v. Virginia case which was an actual pending case in Virginia; the dialogue that was "handed" to the B. Bob Thornton character about tight ends as a football player for that mid-western college team was classic football-speak that could fool any football fan! The train scenes, Las Vegas, this movie really travels well! Catherine Zeta Jones won a LOT of fans because of that movie!
Cedric's the Entertainer's recurring, "I'm nailin' yo ass.... Cuz I'm the ass nailer..." over his manic camcorder footage is worth the price of admission alone as a call-back/running gag.
A thoroughly enjoyable, fun movie! Not #1, but definitely underrated for me. Great background movie too.
When you see the films like this you also get to see that the Coens like to work with the same group of actors time after time.
I have watched Burn After Reading twenty times. At least top five.
This was great, well done. I have a list of movies to watch now. Hadn't heard of some of them. Thanks!