I watched the Coen brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, on streaming Netflix. It seems people either love or hate a Coen brothers film, and I cautiously tuned this one in. The movie is about the American West, and features six vignettes about very different situations. It was based on the book of short stories of the same name, and the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen.
The film also received a nomination for Best Original Song, When a Cowboy Trades his Spurs for Wings, which I thought was very appropriate for the story it was featured in (which is the first tale). The film was also nominated for Best Costume Design.
I was captivated by this film and the stories it told. It is rated R for some strong violence. The film’s locations included New Mexico, Nebraska, and Colorado.
The six stories are diverse. The first story, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, is the most offbeat. Tim Blake Nelson plays a singing cowboy with some fancy gun slinging skills.
Near Algodones features James Franco, who makes an appealing bank robber. (Algodones is an area north of Albuquerque.)
Liam Neeson is a cold hearted entrepreneur with a one-man freak show in Meal Ticket.
In All Gold Canyon, prospector Tom Waits finds what he’s looking for, but can he keep it?
On a wagon train to Oregon, the heartbreaking, sad tale of The Gal Who Got Rattled is told very well.
A couple of bounty hunters on a stage coach is taking their latest catch, The Mortal Remains, into a creepy hotel. It is visually quite stunning the way it is filmed, as are the other panoramic views of the west in other tales.
I recommend this film. And initially I didn’t think I would like it much, but the storytelling is really first rate. Did you see this anthology of short films, and what did you think of the way the Coen brothers presented the tales?
I haven't seen The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I might give it a try. Coen brothers' films are a mixed bag for me. Some I like, some not. My favorites are "The Hudsucker Proxy" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
ReplyDeleteI always anticipate that a Coen brothers film could be very violent, which I generally don't care for. This one wasn't overly so, despite the rating.
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