I did indeed watch an Oscar-winning picture this weekend, but it seems like to offset that brilliance I had to also watch something incredibly stupid. Which I also did. There was also a Coen Brothers film in the middle there, so really it’s a net positive on the weekend as a whole.
First up was the completely un-funny film (ironically Funny or Die’s first feature film), Coffee Town. Since It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has sucked me in, naturally I chose this “comedy” in which he stars. It’s also got Ben Schwartz who I find equally as enthralling. Sadly, the script was rough, and so was Josh Groban’s hair (most random person I may have ever seen in a film). The movie centers on Will, who’s office is run out of his local independent coffee shop. He soon learns that they are going to franchise, so he teams up with his best friends to try a stage a robbery to thwart the plan from coming to fruition. I mean it ultimately works, but it was a long and slow road to get there. Only bright spot I found was Drunk History‘s Derek Waters as Will’s temporary roommate.
Next up, and on the complete opposite of the spectrum, was the psychological horror film, and Academy Award winner, The Silence of the Lambs. If someone mentions either Jodie Foster or Anthony Hopkins, I imagine this film automatically comes to mind. And for good reason! Based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name, and direct sequel to Red Dragon, this follows FBI trainee, Clarice Starling as she tries to hunt down serial killer, Buffalo Bill, with the help of another serial killer and former psychiatrist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. At first, Clarice is hesistent around Lecter, but recognizes he holds the key to solving the case. Soon though, she lets the guard to her mind down in Hannibals’ prescence, and he no doubt makes use of that knowledge. Equal parts thrilling and perfectly violent, it’s clear why this movie captured the critics’ and audiences’ attention.
Finally, I found myself stumbling upon an older Coen Brother’s masterpiece, Burn After Reading. Like all of their other films, this one also shares an incredible cast with the likes of George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, and Brad Pitt. Clooney’s character is having an affair with Swinton’s character, who is married to Malkovich’s ex-CIA character, who’s writing a memoir that Pitt and McDormand stumble upon thinking they’ve found some highly classified secret intelligence. McDormand and Pitt are delightfully dim-witted, and this is the Pitt I’d like to see more of! This movie had all the classic Coen traits with both thrills and humor interwoven within an intricate and elaborate story. Ultimately, this is a tale of miscommunication, but it pays dividends! It’s a Coen Brothers’ film, so you obviously need to watch it.
After the Coffee Town faux pas, I was worried about making better film choices for the weekend, but since The Silence of the Lambs was new to Netflix this month, and I’ve been on that crazy Hannibal/Red Dragon kick, I knew that choice was a no-brainer. Burn After Reading has been on my watch-list for quite some time, and I think if I’d watched it back when it first came out, I’m sure there would have been so many nuances I would have missed. Overall, not a bad weekend of films.