The Coen brothers are no strangers to crafting a great crime thriller. From the moment they made their humble feature debut with 1984's Blood Simple — a film with a somewhat basic narrative that still has plenty of boldness in the end — they were marked as two of the most exciting new American filmmakers. But Blood Simple was only the beginning, as the duos' later acclaimed works like Fargo and No Country for Old Men would eventually showcase. These modern cinema classics are without compare, as each is darkly humorous at times and profoundly, existentially shattering at others.
Drive-Away Dolls is not one of those films. For starters, it's Ethan Coen's first feature solo in the director's chair following the brothers split a few years ago — and it's clearly been through some changes since it was announced under a different title way back in 2007. Of note, the Coens going separate artistic ways wasn't some big blowup and may be short-lived as they're reportedly coming together again. However, for now, we're seeing how the two work apart. While Joel directed the formally fascinating Shakespearean adaptation The Tragedy of Macbeth, Ethan has made something closer to a period buddy comedy. In a script he co-wrote with his wife and longtime editor Tricia Cooke, we are thrown into a chaotic caper that follows two friends — Jamie and Marian — on a road trip to Tallahassee that they hope will put their problems behind them. They soon discover there is actually a bigger problem awaiting them in the trunk of the "drive-away" car they rent.
Before that, the two friends are just trying to figure out how to make the most of where their lives have ended up. Jamie, played by the always magnificent Margaret Qualley of last year's sharp erotic thriller Sanctuary, is a more confident and sexually adventurous wildcard who's recently broken up with her girlfriend. Marian, played by a delightfully deadpan Geraldine Viswanathan of the silly anthology series Miracle Workers, is more reserved and shy about most parts of her life. While the film is rather slight in many regards, with some clunky transition effects almost always ripping you out of the experience, the pair's chemistry is what holds everything together.
Originally more irreverently titled Drive-Away Dykes, the title was seemingly changed to make the movie more "marketable." This unnecessary alteration aside, the film is fun, and the longer you ride along with Qualley and Viswanathan the more you're won over by it all. It's a film where the particulars of the premise matter less than the characters who are unknowingly swept up in it. While the reveal of the cargo they're unwittingly transporting is good, wholesome family fun, the well-written and acted central character relationship is where the movie becomes joyous. There is plenty of droll absurdity, but there is also a sense of sweetness that sneaks up on viewers in a truly wonderful fashion.
Perhaps most importantly, while the overall film can fall into some diversionary bits, the emotional experience never feels like it is compromising. There are plenty of quibbles to be had with some of the presentation, but the playful yet lightly poetic way it traces the lives of the two friends turned fellow travelers is all earned. For all the sometimes hit-or-miss gags playing out elsewhere, it's a loving and complex portrait of queerness. Though it makes some rushed detours (which are thankfully bolstered by strong supporting performances), whenever things get back on the road with Jamie and Marian, the movie eases back into a groove that grows on you.
In the end, the stolen goods or the bumps on the way take a back seat to Qualley and Viswanathan as they steal the movie's heart right out from under it. There may be one less Coen behind the camera, but the two charismatic performers kick Drive-Away Dolls into higher gear. For all the film's dicking around, it is their cheeky charm that proves to be the key. That its final punchline almost feels like an echo or homage to the all-timer of a closer from Some Like It Hot is fitting. Even as you acknowledge its imperfections, you can't help but smile as the film rides off into the sunset.
DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS
