In Season 9, The Simpsons memorably sing a ditty Those were the Days which features the wonderfully reminiscent line “When Michael Jackson still was black… Those were the daaaays!” Very much along the same lines, I can’t help but hum to myself “When the Coen’s were still good”. I think back to their stream of classic indie hits: Raising Arizona; Miller’s Crossing; The Big Lebowski; O Brother Where Art Thou?; and of course, Fargo, all of which are belters and timelessly rewatchable. I wish I could say the same for what they have churned out in the past decade. Films that may have received more critical acclaim, but are significantly inferior to their earlier work. Fargo is magnificent. From its bleak, desolate yet beautiful exteriors, dark and edgy characters, creepy and intriguing plot, to its pitch perfect performances from the whole cast – does anyone do ‘sad pathetic loser’ better than William H Macy? (maybe Philip Seymore Hoffman. Maybe.) This is a film worth watching and rewatching. I can’t help but think that with their more commercial success these days, the Coens would do well to remember Marge Gunderson’s précis of the Brainerd crimes, “And for what? For a little bit of money. There’s more to life than a little money, you know.”
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