DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS (2024)

 

Directed By: Ethan Coen

Written By: Ethan Coen And Tricia Cooke

Cinematography: Ari Wegner

Editor: Tricia Cooke

Cast: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Bill Camp, Beanie Fieldstein, Annie Gonzalez, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon 

The film follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

This film is a strange hybrid of a lesbian romantic comedy. Also having a conspiracy crime story.  That mixes competently enough but still feels like a strange mix.

The humor works in both storylines, but they both need a little bit more to be fully realized as they both feel like they could be short stories but need the other to make a full feature.

unfortunately, the film also comes off as a farce as most of the characters aren’t exactly 100% believable and we never really get enough information to really care for them or really get to know them. We know their character types but rarely get a glimpse truly inside of them.

This could’ve been an informative romantic comedy that involved lesbians but the crime story feels like it was needed to fill it out whereas the crime story feels like an idea that was never quite fully realized.

The film takes place in 1999, though the film barely acknowledges it until late, and you begin to realize that most of these misunderstandings and confusions could’ve been solved with cell phones, which is why it seems the main reason that this film takes place in the past. it seems like a lot of films will explain or keep their narrative going.

as often the editing seems abrupt and the timing seems a little off, and it keeps going into these psychedelic dreamscapes and montages that for a movie under 90 minutes quickly become very annoying, especially the volume of them. Which comes across as a throwback and an experimental device for a film that doesn’t seem encouraging to be under the influence watching.

The cameos throughout the film of favors and wanting to be associated with 1/2 of the famed Coen brothers filmmaking team. Here Ethan Coen directs and co-wrote the screenplay. The problem is that this film feels more full of comedy than any true relatability. even while we root for the main characters, they never become full-blooded, though they are likable

While the film is certainly entertaining and comes up with plenty of memorable side characters and situations. especially Margaret Qualley’s character, who you wish had a film all to herself it comes off as a bunch of great ideas that luckily work into a narrative, but are very loose.

The actors all seem to be having fun in their roles and as usual Geraldine Viswanathan. Deserves and needs more leading roles as she is just a captivating actress who ends up getting stuck at times in one-note roles luckily reveals herself to more than meets the eye her character can change from the beginning to the end and stay believable..

This isn’t a bad movie or a terrible movie. It just feels and its own way nourished like it’s missing certain things that would make it more worthwhile. 

Grade: C