starring Nicolas Cage & Holly Hunter
In a nutshell: Thoroughly enjoyed it
Let me start by saying that Joel Coen, was one of the first directors that made me pay attention to who was directing a movie. I love most of the Coen Brothers' catalog. After watching Raising Arizona, the only Coen movie that I have not seen is Intolerable Cruelty, and I am planning to watch it soon. I did not care for The Man Who Wasn't There and only moderately liked The Hudsucker Proxy, but otherwise, I enjoy all their movies. Raising Arizona compares favorably to some of their best. In fact, I would rank their movies something like this:
1. Fargo
2. The Big Lebowski
3. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
4. Raising Arizona
5. Miller's Crossing
6. Barton Fink
7. The Ladykillers
8. Blood Simple
9. The Hudsucker Proxy
10. The Man Who Wasn't There
While their first movie, Blood Simple is a fine thriller, you might have a tough time recognizing it as the work of the Coens. Raising Arizona (their 2nd film) is the first one that has the trademark Coen feel. The twisted humor, exaggerated characters, distinct dialogue, and scenic landscapes all show up. Also, some nifty tracking shots make an appearance. The scenery is distinctly reminiscent of Looney Tunes Roadrunner cartoons, complete with mesas and cacti.
Quick synopsis: Nic Cage and his cop wife can't have a child of their own, so they decide to kidnap one from a family with quintuplets.
Content: The acting is top notch. When an actor is described as having "range", it usually means that he/she can play a variety of different character types. But Nicolas Cage has a different kind of range. His range is a range of quality. From the oh so very bad (Bangkok Dangerous, Next),to the Oscar-worthy (Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas). These days, it's easy to forget that the man is an oscar winner. And I would go as far as to say that his performance in Raising Arizona is my favorite Cage role. Holly Hunter is solid as his hyper-emotional wife. And Other Coen favorites show up in memorable smaller roles (John Goodman, Frances McDormand).
As in other Coen films, the humor is mostly found in the absurdity of the situations and not in slapstick gags. And although Raising Arizona is a very funny movie, I am hesitant to classify it as a comedy since much of the humor is subtle and is lurking behind a somewhat serious facade. I couldn't help but smile when Cage failed time after time to rob the same store. Another great comedy scene is the big chase which has about 5 or 6 different parties involved and leads to one of the most memorable lines in the movie, "you got a panty on your head..."
The mysterious biker is an interesting character and the ultimate conflict with him is thrilling. From start to finish Raising Arizona took me on a very enjoyable ride and didn't let up until the final scene where everyone gets a little philosophical.
I can't believe that it took me so long to see this movie, especially considering that Fargo and Lebowski have been among my favorites for several years now. Anyhow, it was worth the wait.
I am excited for No Country For Old Men, the Coen Brothers' new movie. The preview looks fantastic. And anthough I enjoy The Ladykillers more than most, I hope that No Country sends the Coen brothers back to the front of the pack.
Rolling Rankings:
1. Sideways (#1)
2. Raising Arizona (#2)
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