It goes without saying that even the most casual of film buff recognizes the immense impact of the Coen Brothers on film. “Raising Arizona,” “Fargo,” “No Country for Old Men” and everything in between- the duo have made their mark on filmmaking indefinitely. Their split to pursue solo endeavors was obviously met with cautious optimism. Getting to see both Ethan and Joel work on their own was always a sort of inevitable experiment after working together for 3+ decades.
“Drive-Away Dolls” is Ethan Coen’s first real solo outing without his brother by his side, and the absence of one traded out for the indulgences of the other almost works until it doesn’t. That’s not to say it doesn’t maintain the quirky flare and outrageous humor we’ve come to expect from the Coens. It’s got all the foundations of a cult classic queer road trip comedy, packed with strong leads and a shockingly star studded supporting cast. And it zips along at a brisk 84 minutes, a runtime we seldom see from theatrical releases these days.
Where “Drive-Away Dolls” falters the most is in the revelation of which Coen brother does what in their collective filmography and how revealing their solo outings end up being. I’m all for artists expressing themselves in their own right, but between this and “Macbeth” it becomes abundantly clear that the best of both brothers is together. Where “Macbeth” was Joel’s dark and brooding and humorless adaption, “Drive-Away Dolls” is Ethan’s off the rails examination of queerness in the late 90s. Both films clearly demonstrate the talent that each brother has, but the stark contrast of which road they chose to go on when presented with a fork in that path demonstrates just why these two are so damn good when they combine their efforts. Ethan gives us the unhinged dark humor and quirk bordering on surreal, while Joel grounds it all with his expert camera work and central thematic awareness. It is essential to contextualize this partnership in order to understand the best and worst of this film.
Directed by Ethan Coen and co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke (who identifies as a lesbian and both have other partners despite being married and raising children together). The footnote of queerness in their relationship is important because “Drive-Away Dolls” is queer centric. More specifically, it’s lesbian centric, something only Cooke could capture authentically in the way that it is portrayed. I usually try to keep the personal lives of filmmakers and celebrities out of the discussion when critiquing the their work, but it is vital to the film made by the pair so it’s worth mentioning here. “Drive-Away Dolls” follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) as two lesbian friends who decide they need to start their lives over by taking an impromptu trip to Tallahassee to visit Marian’s aunt. They head to a driveaway service for transportation, and inadvertently take a car carrying important goods for some shady and important people. Their road trip quickly devolves into a series of hijinks as they are both pursued by bumbling criminals while also trying to discover new parts of themselves together. The film also stars Oscar nominee Coleman Domingo, Bill Camp, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick, C. J. Wilson and some surprise cameos I won’t spoil here even if every other accessible site already has.
Ethan seems to want to explore everything, everywhere all at once visually, with “Drive-Away Dolls” almost driving away from him with its zany and nearly unhinged storytelling. For such a short runtime, the film doesn’t have all that much to say about its subject, and yet somehow feels overstuffed with ideas free flowing without focus. “Drive-Away Dolls” is both under baked simplistic and overcomplicated, the two clashing ideas working and not working depending on which it is leaning into at any given time. Ethan and Tricia clearly understand the bizarre nature of their own humor as it relates to the Coens’ combined works, demonstrating that most if not all of the silliness and outlandish characters come from these two minds. “Drive-Away Dolls” isn’t gut busting funny, but just strange enough to be laughable in the right ways. This is very much in line with the Coen vibe, the kind of humor that makes you question whether you should laugh or not, then when you decide to do so it rewards you with an even darker layer of jokes beneath the violence and complex themes.
“Drive-Away Dolls” highlights the talents of both Qualley and Viswanathan, women who are on the rise and continue to show us why they should be in everything. Qualley dons a southern accent that often feels like what a 7th grader thinks the deep south sounds like, but her presence is so magnetic and timing so impeccable you kind of just accept it as the one and only choice and run with it. Viswanathan’s self reflective, smartest person in the room persona continues to be a beacon of deadpan sarcasm that works beautifully here, juxtaposed against the fast talking, freewheeling Qualley. Everyone else is used sparingly, with the real crux of the film resting almost entirely on the chemistry and performances of the two lead women. The “hidden cameos” are used in ways that feel like a throwback to the time the film is set in (1999 in case you were wondering) when we were able to not only hide their presence but use them in ways that further the story rather than set up an unwarranted franchise in the end credits.
For all it has to like, “Drive-Away Dolls” is sorely missing the other half. We have always wondered what each brother contributes to their works, and this film has a big giant Joel sized hole smack dab in the middle. The film needs grounding, a reigned in approach to be more effective, and both Ethan and Tricia seem uninterested in exploring the driving force of the road trip and more concerned with the driving itself. The ideas are unencumbered to a fault, following every weird avenue the two want to explore except the central one at hand to make this film more generally accessible. If you were wondering who’s idea the dildo chair in “Burn After Reading” was, this film gives you a definitive answer to a question I’m not sure too many people were asking. Mild spoiler, but dildos are featured prominently. So much so they should be a character on their own.
Just, lots and lots of dildos.
All in all, “Drive-Away Dolls” is both disappointing and satisfying. Disappointing in that it never quite reaches the heights or expectations laid upon it from one of the most revered filmmakers of our time. Satisfying in that it tells us so much about the brotherly dynamics and provides insights into the minds of creators who otherwise wouldn’t reveal such things. It is both brilliant and lacking, the kind of film that will most certainly age well but will be wholly overlooked in its current era. And rightfully so, because I don’t know that this is a film that has enough going for it to be recognized just yet. It yearns for more narratively despite being razor thin in its construction. It uses its cast to the best of their talents but still manages to mute them without the balance of insane and ground.
“Drive-Away Dolls” is a solid effort from Ethan, but serves a testament that we need to get the band back together. Now that we know what each brother brings to the table, nothing is more important than reuniting the two once again to give us the best of both worlds they’ve proven they can do individually.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go down a Coen Brothers rabbit hole. Because yes, Ethan and Joel abide.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
“Drive-Away Dolls” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
