the fresh films reviews

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The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Director:
Joel Coen
COUNTRY
USA
Genre
Komedie
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Det store spranget
RUNNING TIME
111 minutter
Producer:
Ethan Coen
Screenwriter:
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen

Sam Raimi


Cast includes:

CHARACTER PERFORMER RATING
Norville Barnes Tim Robbins ½
Amy Archer Jennifer Jason Leigh
Sidney J. Mussburger Paul Newman
Waring Hudsucker Charles Durning
Chief John Mahoney
Buzz Jim True-Frost ½
Moses the Clock Man Bill Cobbs
Smitty Bruce Campbell ½
Beatnik Barman Steve Buscemi
Za-Za Anna Nicole Smith
Vic Tenetta Peter Gallagher

 

Review

This stylistic and filmatic tour-de-force from the Coen brothers further widened their repertoire, building on their award winning Barton Fink from three years prior. In The Hudsucker Proxy, we are given a delicate mix of social satire and refreshing comedy, in which corporate big shots, excessive hierarchies and the height of American business (1950s) are given a runaround. The Coens draw inspiration from Chaplin's Modern Times and Lang's Metropolis alike, and the result is as visually striking as it is thematically amusing. The film has some great individual segments which are among the Coens' best work. One such concerns the production and marketing of the hula hoop, culminating in a beautifully staged scene in which a little boy in the streets starts swinging. The performances are delightfully stylized, with Tim Robbins standing out. He seems as naïve as the character he portrays. And Jennifer Jason Leigh is an energetic two-fold by his side.

Original review: Copyright © 3.4.1997 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang
Re-reviewed: Copyright © 28.3.2008 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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