Blood Simple vs. The Times Of Harvey MilkBlood SimpleThe Coen Brothers have crafted a master thriller in
Blood Simple. This is yet another film to enter into my top 100 films of all time from this 80s bracket. The central premise is not anything new. A bar owner (Dan Hedaya) hires a private investigator (M. Emmit Walsh) to kill his wife (Frances McDormand) and her lover (John Getz). However, what the Coen Brothers do with the premise is incredibly new and adds even more suspense into the mix. The film unfolds in such a unique way that you have no idea what is going to come next, even if you know all the thriller conventions that are used in countless others. Every performance here is solid, especially from M. Emmit Walsh, who relishes every second he is on screen. The Carter Burwell score is haunting and gets your heart pumping fast at all the right moments. Barry Sonnenfeld’s cinematography is not afraid of the dark or the intense sunlight of Texas. The Coens’ story here is able to allow things to get messy and confusing, yet everything seems to tie up together. The dialogue, as always from them, is fantastic and interesting to listen to. I absolutely loved this film, and second to
The Big Lebowski, is my favorite Coen Brothers film.
The Times Of Harvey MilkI think I come at this film at a disadvantage. I say this because I have already seen Gus Van Sant’s picture
Milk. The reason I say that is because I believe that film does a better job a giving a well-rounded portrayal of Harvey Milk. This film is very vague and feels almost like a Wikipedia biography. All it does is go through the career point by point listing accomplishments. I mean the film does keep you engaged in some respect because Harvey Milk is an interesting figure. Another problem with the film is that its agenda is so one-sided that it beats you over the head with it. I mean I agree with the political statements being put forth, but I prefer my documentaries to be as objective as possible. The film portrays Milk as a saint from the word go and never, really, has a misstep. Emotionally, the film does its work with the footage of the candlelight march. Overall, I was very underwhelmed with this film. It feels too much like an hour-long History Channel piece, and not a great documentary, as it is hailed to be. I did not dislike the film, just disappointed.
Winner And Advancement To Next Round:
Blood Simple