Sunday, February 13, 2011

Blood Simple (1984)

Personally I have never been the biggest fan of the Coen brothers. I feel that their movies have a strong plot but still tend to not be the most entertaining of movies. Their films tend to have a very subtle pace with awkward moments of silence which appeals to me since I am a huge fan of 70's cinema but it limits the replay value of most of the coen brothers films for me.
Blood Simple has the same format. Its a creepy thriller about a rich club owner who hires a cowboy to kill his cheating wife and her lover. The cowboy murders the jealous husband instead and takes his money.
From here on the movie is filled with twists and turns. There aren't many characters in the movie but nobody trusts anyone. The lovers start second guessing each other and the cowboy is still at large. At times it seems as if the dangerous/jealous husband is still alive and the film doesn't allow the viewer to figure out the ending. All we know is the future is going to be as bleak as the awkward silence of the film. When its all said and done their is only one surviving character and the film kinda has an irrupt ending, similar to No Country For Old Men (A much more recent Coen brothers film).
Blood Simple is by no means a bad movie. Its worth watching at least once it just isn't the type of movie that could be watched often. Its kind of a mix between John Carpenters often ignored Someones Watching Me and Brian De Palma's Gialo-esque-thriller Dressed To Kill. Its the perfect film to watch alone but not the best of choices to entertain a house full of friends.

3 comments:

  1. I watched their remake of TRUE GRIT tonight. I kinda feel the same about all the Coen brothers movies also. They're watchable once and then kinda forgettable. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is probably my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah because their movies have a certain style that is lacking from most films these days but when its all done I find myself questioning. Did I really like that movie? I do want to see True Grit. Is it still playing theaters?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't think so. I know a Chinese man at the laundromat who has a copy of it. Don't tell anyone though.

    ReplyDelete