+6
Raising Arizona
The Coens have always populated their films with quirky, larger than life characters. This was no exception.
Nic Cage stars as H. I. McDunnough. Hi to his friends. When we first meet him, he’s constantly getting arrested for robbery. He meets Edwina (Holly Hunter), falls in love, and get married. He goes straight. Then they find out she can’t have kids. But that’s ok, a local rich couple jus had five! So they steal one. As you do....
This is one quirky comedy, with some funny scenes between Hunter and Cage.
But mostly there’s a undercurrent of contempt for the Reagan era. There’s references to the “have and have nots” and how the rich couple have “too much” with regards to their kids. The kidnapped infant could have easily been a metaphor for greed. Everyone wants the kid for themselves. And not even for reasons one might expect. Indeed, Hi even makes a reference to his disdain towards Reagan.
And take note of a strange scene involving John Goodman and his cell mate escaping prison. Their emergence from the muddy ground is much like birth, complete with Goodman pulling his buddy out by the legs.
Along the way a bounty hunter dressed like a Mad Max wannabe shows up also chasing after the child.
This all gets weird, with some genuinely funny moments, but some of the scenes go on for too long.
And unfortunately it’s those scenes that ultimately what keeps this film from completely working. The weirdness outweighs the funny to the point it becomes distracting.
Coen films have been hit or miss for me, with Blood Simple being an amazing film earlier this year, when it was recommended for me. This joins Barton Fink as too weird to be completely enjoyable.