Drive-Away Dolls marks a lot of firsts for the Coen universe, primarily that this is Ethan Coen’s first solo outing as a director. But more than that, the film focuses on three women wrapped up in a situation they shouldn’t be in and it is glorious to see.
We set out on a journey of self-discovery, mayhem, and a case of dildos neither expected all because Jamie (Margaret Qualley) was caught cheating on her girlfriend Jamie (Beanie Feldstein). Needing a moment to just skip town, Jamie convinces her best friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) to join her on a road trip that is turned into a drive for their lives.
I am a Coen Brothers completist, having seen everything that Joel and Ethan Coen have worked on, together or separately, and what I love so dearly about Drive-Away Dolls is how it both stands completely on its own and still reminds me of some Coen classics I love. Entrenched in the comedy and tone of movies like Raising Arizona but giving us women at the center, Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke (who he wrote the film with) bring us a completely new kind of movie to add to their impressive canon of work.
There is nothing quite like the comedy of a Coen brother, but what Drive-Away Dolls shows us (unlike most of Joel Coen’s solo projects) is exactly how good Ethan Coen is as part of the duo. For most of Joel Coen’s solo outings, Ethan Coen was still part of them in some way, but Drive-Away Dolls marks a film all his own, and the duo of Coen and Cooke is truly something magical.
The fun and excitement of the story is mixed with compelling performances by Qualley, Viswanathan, and Feldstein, but it really is the charm of Coen’s directing style mixed with his and Cooke’s writing that makes this easily one of the top films in Coen’s filmography. And that’s quite the feat.
A typical Coen stacked cast
One of the best parts of a Coen movie is the cast that we get to see come together. With Drive-Away Dolls, the movie is carried by the women at the center of it. Marian, Jamie, and Sukie’s story makes us care whether or not they make it out of this situation alive. When Jamie and Marian rent a car to get to Florida, they are being chased by the owner of a briefcase left in the trunk, their journey meant for henchmen rather than two women just trying to take a breather from their lives.
The ensuing chaos brings characters like the Dealer (Pedro Pascal), the Chief (Colman Domingo), and a senator (Matt Damon) all into the fold in the midst of these two women just trying to go for a drive and have some fun. Seeing the lineup of actors included in this movie is enough to have anyone excited for it, and that’s a staple of the Coen brothers’ filmography. They love to not only work with familiar actors time and time again, but they also love to stack their casts with an array of actors we know and trust.
Drive-Away Dolls is no different, but even with actors like Damon, Domingo, and Pascal in the mix, the movie never feels like a Hollywood who’s who and is instead still completely Marian and Jamie’s story.
This is a love story
Marian and Jamie start this journey as friends, and Viswanathan’s awkward dive into a relationship with her best friend is one of the most charming aspects of the film. Both Viswanathan and Qualley’s wit and energy make outrageous moments (like the plethora of dildos featured throughout the film) work because you want these two to finally figure out their feelings for each other.
Even when the stakes are incredibly high and Sukie is dealing with the brunt of their mistakes (that neither Marian nor Jamie is aware of), these two still find moments to try and share their love for each other. It makes Drive-Away Dolls one of the few sweet love stories in the Coen brothers’ canon and is one for the ages.
Drive-Away Dolls hits theaters on February 23, and it really is amazing to see Ethan Coen’s solo debut shine in the way that it does.
(featured image: Wilson Webb/Working Title/Focus Features)
