|
Page 1 of 1
|
[ 14 posts ] |
|
Author |
Message |
Nebs
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:01 pm Posts: 6385
|
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hudsucker ProxyQuote: The Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director.
The film stars Tim Robbins as a naïve business-school graduate who is installed as president of a manufacturing company, Jennifer Jason Leigh as a newspaper reporter, and Paul Newman as a company director who hires the young man as part of a stock scam.
The Coen brothers and Raimi finished the script in 1985, but production did not start until 1991, when Joel Silver acquired the script for Silver Pictures. Warner Bros. subsequently agreed to distribute the film, with further financing coming from PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films.
Filming at Carolco Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina lasted from November 1992 to March 1993. The New York City scale model set was designed by Micheal J. McAlister and Mark Stetson, with further effects provided by The Computer Film Company.
Upon its release in March 1994, The Hudsucker Proxy received mixed reviews from critics, and it was a box office bomb.
_________________ ---!!---!!!!!!-11!!---!!---11---11!!!--!!--
|
Fri May 18, 2007 10:07 pm |
|
|
Jim Halpert
Stanley Cup
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 1:52 pm Posts: 6981 Location: Hockey Town
|
B+. Very fun film.
|
Sat May 19, 2007 1:34 am |
|
|
Alex Y.
Top Poster
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:47 pm Posts: 5709
|
A, best Coen Brothers movie over Raising Arizona.
|
Sat May 19, 2007 4:48 am |
|
|
Snrub
Vagina Qwertyuiop
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:14 pm Posts: 8767 Location: Great Living Standards
|
Ditto for me. It's still my favourite Coen Bros. movie. A magical movie. Shame it didn't catch on more with mainstream audiences. It seems Tim Robbins has a knack for starring in films with titles that fail to excite audiences (only to be discovered and loved later on) what with this, The Shawshank Redemption and Howard The Duck.
|
Sat May 19, 2007 6:38 am |
|
|
zennier
htm
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 2:38 pm Posts: 10316 Location: berkeley
|
Love this movie. It captures the essence of old Hollywood (or what I perceive it to be) and makes it extremely stylish and scathingly fun. It's really quite solid and I love revisiting it.
B+/A-
|
Sat May 19, 2007 10:23 am |
|
|
Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm Posts: 11019
|
I love it too. Second only to Lebowski in the Coen canon, as far as I'm concerned.
_________________ k
|
Sun May 20, 2007 12:38 am |
|
|
Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13403
|
I adore this film. Its quirky and strange and thats just 1/4 of the charm. The Coens are Gods!!
|
Sun May 20, 2007 1:10 am |
|
|
A. G.
Draughty
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:23 am Posts: 13347
|
I thought it was very good but it felt a little too streamlined, like it could have used some more fleshing out. But one of the handful of best Coen brothers films? Yep I agree. I'd rank their four best as (in no order), Hudsucker, Raising A., Oh Brother, Fargo.
I miss good Coen brothers films, it's been a while.
|
Sun May 20, 2007 1:35 am |
|
|
MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
|
If it's not the Coen Bros. best film, than it's absolutely their most under-rated. The fight in the clock tower kills me every time.
|
Wed May 23, 2007 7:54 am |
|
|
Shack
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am Posts: 38315
|
Re: Hudsucker Proxy
It's a perfect companion piece to Barton Fink, it's no coincidence this was released right after it in the Coens' library. They have the same intentions of satiring the Hollywood model, except while Fink was told through the point of view of the writer, in Hudsucker they're operating in the movie itself. Contrasts can be drawn between the film, such as the fact that BF is shot coldly and claustrophobically, while Hudsucker is bright and colourful and warm. The Buscemi character in BF resembles the elevator boy in this film, similar comparison can be drawn between the detectives in the first film and the newspaper workers here, both play to conventions of the time period. Other similarities are there too I'm sure, I'd like to watch BF again to compare them. But mostly, it's their intentions criticizing Hollywood that tie together.
Observe that the company and its employees are all structured Hollywood-esque figures, everything they do seems to be orchastrated to fit inside the Hollywood model of the 50s style film this is set in. Neville's purpose is to be the underdog who rises to the top, Leigh is the love interest who ends up standing by him, Newman is the villain... these people don't seem to operate or exist outside these molds, and neither does the narrator. The narrator who knows everything seems more funny than anything on first sight, but in reality he is the key to the Coens' satire... He knows everything about these people because he is the narrator and this is a movie, and these characters' arcs will play to that formula, because that is what they are. The clock is another brilliant addition, it represents the ticking time and overall designed nature of the movie... thus when it stops, so does the whole universe.
The ending is perfect. After Neville naturally has a lucky angellic happenstance save him in order for the film to have the happy ending, and for him to get the girl and be succesful in his job, the narrator leaves us with the line "There's also a story about a man who jumped off the 45th floor... but that's a story for another time". This wraps up perfectly the Coens' intentions of satirizing the Hollywood plot model, that on the floor above, they have an identical formula film lined up for you to eat up.
Of course, like Fink, added to all this is the Coens' beautiful direction in cinematography and production design, and perfectly placed performances from Robbins, Newman, and especially Jennifer Jason Leigh. The movie remains entertaining and charming the whole way through, and many of the one liners and comic moments are gold.
Another total winner from the Coens. I still think Barton Fink and No Country are their "masterpieces" if you will (I need to rewatch Fargo though), and if there's any reservations I have, it's that it does go through a lot of what BF already did and without the whole Coens' in writers block/8 1/2 addition, and in this case just on a personal level I prefer movies and stories that go to more internal and "dark" places like Fink, than the lighter side of the coin, Proxy. But being slightly inferior to that film is no shame... I think BF is one of the best films ever made.
In any case, you can't go wrong with this one.
5/5
_________________Shack’s top 50 tv shows - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90227
|
Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:39 pm |
|
|
trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
|
Re: The Hudsucker Proxy
Not my favourite Coens, but it's still rather hilarious and witty. For some reason Jennifer Jason Leigh got a lot of hate for this, but I thought she was probably the best part.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
|
Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:35 pm |
|
|
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23921 Location: Classified
|
Re: The Hudsucker Proxy
“We need to buy 50 percent of the stock” “51!” “Not counting the mezzanine.” That line made me LOL hard. This is great so far.
|
Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:22 am |
|
|
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23921 Location: Classified
|
Re: The Hudsucker Proxy
A hilarious and absolutely savage satire of the business world that is presented in a surrealistic wholesome package. I can understand why this tonal clash led to critics and audiences giving it a meh at the time, but here in the year 2021 it worked so damn well, for me (and others in this thread) at least. Paul Newman gives a surprisingly iconic comedic performance, possibly my favorite from him (though admittedly I have only seen a handful of his 'best' films.) Also definitely ranks in the upper-tier of Coen's history. Lebowski still remains supreme, but this very well might be #2, competing with Miller's Crossing and their more recent hits like No Country, True Grit, Llewyn Davis and Hail Caesar.
A
Barton Fink is now the only Coen directorial effort I have left (until Macbeth launches in December.)
|
Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:06 pm |
|
|
|
Page 1 of 1
|
[ 14 posts ] |
|
Who is online |
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum
|
|