I've mentioned a couple of times the Coen brothers retrospective that's been going on in this household. Yesterday it was concluded, and on the basis of the reappraisal I conducted, here are some conclusions. Top three Coen brothers movies to date, in rank order:
1. FargoFargo is their masterpiece; it's to the Coen brothers what Psycho and Vertigo are in Hitchcock's work. From their earlier movies the only weakness is The Hudsucker Proxy.
2. The Big Lebowski
3. The Man Who Wasn't There
Oh, and here's a great passage from Intolerable Cruelty:
Rex Rexroth: Have you sat before her before?
Miles Massey: No. No, the judge sits first. Then we sit.
Rex Rexroth: Well, have you sat after her before?
Wrigley: Sat after her before? You mean, have we argued before her before?
Miles Massey: The judge sits in judgment. The counsel argues before the judge.
Rex Rexroth: So, have you argued before her before?
Wrigley: Before her before, or before she sat before?
Rex Rexroth: Before her before. I said, before her before.
Wrigley: No, you said before she sat before.
Rex Rexroth: I did at first, but...
Miles Massey: Look, don't argue.
Rex Rexroth: I'm not. I'm...
Wrigley: No, you don't argue. We argue.
Miles Massey: Counsel argues.
Wrigley: You appear.
Miles Massey: The judge sits.
Wrigley: Then you sit.
Miles Massey: Or you stand in contempt.
Wrigley: And then we argue.
Miles Massey: The counsel argues.
Rex Rexroth: Which you've done before.
Miles Massey: Which we've done before.
Rex Rexroth: Ah.
Wrigley: But not before her.