“Drive-Away Dolls” is the second solo project of Ethan Coen, one half of the legendary Coen Brothers. With the repertoire of films he’s made in the past with his brother like “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowski”, and “No Country For Old Men” it is hard to not see the heavy flaws that surface in his newest movie.
The movie follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who decide to take a surprise road trip down to Tallahassee, Florida. On their way to their destination they learn that a criminal plot has been sprung and they’ve accidentally made themselves a part of it. Now they must dodge a few haphazard henchmen of a mysterious person to reach their destination.
Firstly, the runtime is very short for a feature film at 84 minutes and that leads to some lack of development in almost every character in the movie and a breakneck pace that doesn’t lead to much. Even with this lack of development the main characters are still entertaining to watch because of the great performances from them. The pacing doesn’t allow a moment to sit with the characters and really experience a moment because by the time you do the next scene or joke has started.
This movie wears its inspirations on its sleeve and leans into them heavily. These inspirations are 1970’s exploitation romance movies, which may be a negative depending on how much you like that genre. It also interweaves an LGBTQ+ romance between the two main characters that is by far the most developed aspect of the movie although it is not always handled the best, especially towards the end.
The comedy for the most part landed, but the jokes and story in general are both incredibly crude and overtly inappropriate. This style of comedy for the most part helps build an atmosphere that is lighthearted and helps create a relatively smooth experience. Although the comedy is good sometimes it felt like it was taking away from moments that could lead to more development for characters.
It is fun to see the difference in styles that the Coen Brothers bring to the table now that they are working independently of each other, but this movie may show that Ethan Coen needs the other half of his writing duo to make a fully developed plot. Overall with a mismanaged LGBTQ+ romance, underdeveloped characters, and a breakneck pace this is definitely in the lower echelon of Ethan Coen’s filmography.
Directed by Ethan Coen
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon, Joey Slotnick, C. J. Wilson, Annie Gonzalez, Miley Cyrus
Rated R
Runtime: 84 minutes
My Rating: ★★½