A Tale of Two Trailers [OregonMuse]

I generally like Joel and Ethan Coen's movies, although not all of them, I know they're kind of hit and miss. But I'm always interested when a new one comes out. I decided that wanted to see True Grit based pretty much entirely on the strength of this trailer:

First of all, I think this is a great trailer. It establishes the broad, general outline of the movie without giving too much away. And it introduces Mattie Ross as a compelling character. Who would not want to see a western about a 14-year old girl who is determined to bring her father's killer to justice? And how can she accomplish this task she has set for herself, given her age and gender?

So right there, you have an interesting story and a compelling character.

I was looking forward to seeing True Grit, and I was happy when it lived up to my expectations. And what's more, I think it's the best film the Coens have ever made.

Now watch this trailer of the latest Coen Bros. movie, Inside Llewyn Davis:

So, having seen the trailer, what do we know about the movie? Well, the main character is a shabby-looking hippie folksinger, we know that much. And there's a woman, probably his ex, who hates him. But what is this movie about? The trailer doesn't really say. I guess it's about the shabby-looking hippie folksinger's life, which appears to consist mainly of him wandering around from place to place. The randomness of the scenes that were selected to be included in the trailer do not suggest any kind of a cohesive whole, unlike the way that the True Grit trailer did.

And more importantly, do I care about the shabby-looking hippie folksinger? In a word, no. Nothing in the trailer gives me any reason to think that Llewyn Davis is a character I should be interested in. Unlike Mattie Ross.

Why should I see this movie? There's no story and no character. I guess it might actually turn out to be a good film, but you'd never know it from the trailer.

So, unless it starts getting really great reviews, I think I'm going to give it a pass, and wait for the Coens' next one.

I just thought of something: what might redeem this movie is if the story would invite us into the perspective of the ex, and at the end we will think, yes, this guy really is an arsehole.

Addendum: The original source for True Grit, Charles Portis' novel of the same name, is quite good, and the Coens' adaptation is reasonably faithful. The book has more religious parts, though. For example, remember the hanging scene near the beginning of the film, where the Indian was prevented from speaking his last words to the crowd? In the book, he was allowed to speak, and he basically gave his Christian testimony. Not sure wny they had to change it for the movie. Also, the book is narrated by the adult Mattie Ross and one point, she gives a little sermonette on predestination, that I admit warmed the cockles of my Presbyterian heart:

The Indian woman spoke good English and I learned to my surprise that she too was a Presbyterian. She had been schooled by a missionary. What preachers we had in those days! Truly they took the word into "the highways and hedges." Mrs. Bagby was not a Cumberland Presbyterian but a member of the U.S. or Southern Presbyterian Church. I too am now a member of the Southern Church. I say nothing against the Cumberlands. They broke with the Presbyterian Church because they did not believe a preacher needed a lot of formal education. That is all right but they are not sound on Election. They do not fully accept it. I confess it is a hard doctrine, running contrary to our earthly ideas of fair play, but I can see no way around it. Read I Corinthians 6: 13 and II Timothy 1: 9, 10. Also I Peter 1: 2, 19, 20 and Romans 11: 7. There you have it. It was good for Paul and Silas and it is good enough for me. It is good enough for you too.

So evidently Mattie Ross grew up to be a rock-ribbed Calvinist. And given her character, we shouldn't be the least bit surprised.

posted by Open Blogger at 06:28 PM

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