Death has always been a punchline for Joel and Ethan Coen. Its suddenness, its finality, its nihilistic impartiality—these anxieties have flooded their films since their very first, 1984’s Blood Simple, a neo-noir about murderous vengeance horribly spiraling out of control.…
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Violent, Heart-breaking Old West Meditation on Mortality | NYFF 2018
Death has always been a punchline for Joel and Ethan Coen. Its suddenness, its finality, its nihilistic impartiality—these anxieties have flooded their films since their very first, 1984’s Blood Simple, a neo-noir about murderous vengeance horribly spiraling out of control.…
TV Review: Fargo (2×03) “The Myth of Sisyphus”
In my review of Fargo‘s second season premiere, I criticized the season overall for lacking the wide array of quirky characters that was the first season’s most significant claim to fame. I was disappointed that unlike Season 1, Season 2 does…
TV Review: Fargo (2×02) “Before the Law”
“Before the Law” gives us our first real introduction to one of this season’s best characters, Mike Milligan (played charismatically by Bokeem Woodbine). He works as an enforcer for Joe Bulo of the Kansas City syndicate and is sent to Luverne…
TV Review: Fargo Season 2 Premiere “Waiting for Dutch”
I loved the first season of FX’s Fargo. I loved the ominous tone, the twisted storytelling, and most of all, the many rich characters. Fargo Season 1 was chock-full of wonderfully specific characters. Every single character in Season 1 was dynamic, original, and useful…