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FEMALE CASTING: The Coen Brothers Fatal Achilles Heel

posted 16 years ago by Miss_Chievous
34 replies | jump to latest

This being now the second time I've had to watch a near-perfect Coen Brothers film be compromised severely by the bizzare casting of women with no acting ability whatsoever — women who, notwithstanding their value in adding a "look" to the film, nonetheless haven't a wit's worth of TALENT, and interrupt the flow of the film every time they OPEN THEIR MOUTH — I have come here to protest.

In truth, I could have posted this to the O Brother Where Art Thou forum, but the redeeming virtue of giving Holly Hunter so few speaking lines mediates what would be the complete ruin of that otherwise wonderful film.

You can hold your nose and suffer through the Hunter scenes inh OBWAT; you have no such relief in The Hudsucker Proxy, where Jennifer Jason Leigh's regrettable habit of artificially modifying the natural range of her voice, once again distracts from her performance.

This is the most bizarre of pathologies I have ever seen in an actor, but having suffered through now four movies in which Leigh MANGLES the dialogue in this fashion, I have come to the conclusion that she suffers from Dulcet Voice Complex.

Whatever.

Why the Coen Brothers repeatedly manifest this casting aberration — and always with female characters, never males (?) — is beyond my understanding. There is no reason why either THP or OBWAT couldn't stand as models of genius filmmaking but for their repeated casting of women with NO TALENT.

I marvel they placed Fargo in the hands of a professional (McCormand), and likewise, Barton Fink (Judy Davis) given this disturbing pattern. What gives? Is it budget? they just can't afford legitimate female talent? Wow. Tragic.

Miss Chievous

[–] Rasputin_Phoenix 16 years ago

I really, really liked McDormand (not McCormand by the way) in Fargo, Kelly Macdonald as Carla Jean in No Country, and Holly Hunter in O Brother Where Art Thou. I think they all did outstanding jobs. I think the Coens have a pretty decent track record for female performances.

[–] franzkabuki 16 years ago

Jennifer Jason Leigh is definitely not a "talentless" actress. I like her extravagance just fine in THP. Although, Judy Davis in BF and McDormand in both Blood Simple and Fargo are probably the high water marks in Coens female acting department.

[–] piperian396 16 years ago

You should add Burn After Reading to that list.

"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."-FZ

[–] mpoconnor7 14 years ago

I would also put Irma P. Hall in The Ladykillers on the short list of great performances by females in Coen Brothers movies. It wasn't a great movie, but she was the best thing in the movie.

[–] superfunhappybald 16 years ago

Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfect in this movie. Her style (and vocal performance) suits the character and the satirical edge of the movie to a T. (I pity the foo' who don't like this performance)

[–] MisterBizzones 16 years ago

JJL is doing Katharine Hepburn in the Hudsucker Proxy. To call it a bad Hepburn impression is one thing (and probably accurate); to miss it entirely and then attribute her voice to some kind of speech impediment is just dumb.

And Holly "The Piano" Hunter has 'NO TALENT'? What. Ever.

[–] Infinity1379 16 years ago

It's a perfect hommage to Rosalind Russel (see His Girl Friday). It's the satire of that "fast-talking career gal."
She was "modifying her voice," because all of the models she was satirizing did. Many women in the working world (although it was moreso in the 50s and 60s) speak with lower voices. Conciously or subconsciously, it's an attmept to put one's self on more equal footing with men. Women with higher voices are less likely to be taken seriously.
I think JJL's portrail was spot-on. Sorry for the lengthy reply.

Alexis

"Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing."
-Data

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 9 years ago

^^^ This.

[–] darth_taylor 16 years ago

I'm honestly shocked at how terrible you are at criticism. I don't know a single person on the planet that has seen this film that doesn't think JJL is nothing short of amazing in this film.

[–] plumlogan 16 years ago

Couldn't agree less.

"Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...or cocaine!"

[–] piperian396 16 years ago

This has to be one of the funniest things I ever read. I haven't seen the Hudsucker Proxy, so I can't say anything about Jennifer Jason Leigh, but Oh Brother Where Art Though? Holly Hunter was hilarous in Oh Brother Where Art Though and Raising Arizona. The Coen brothers always seem to pick the right people for there casts. (Except for Intolerable Cruelty, Cedric the Entertainer's sloppy delivery was pitiful, imagine all the comedians out there who could have done that role and not stumbled over the lines, but I digress)

What's wrong with Holly Hunter? She's always great in their movies.

"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."-FZ

[–] Senor_Flapjacks 16 years ago

You obviously know nothing about casting parts. She was perfect in this movie.
Who would you have casted anyway?

One more friendship ends, and then for a while I can breathe again.

[–] eroq 16 years ago

I just have to say you have no idea what you are talking about.

Just watch any of the movies from the time period of which this film is nodding towards and you might just get it.

Precisely, watch Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday: quick talking career girl, a newspaper lady. She sounds exactly like this. Even closer, watch Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby. I actually am usually repulsed by Jennifer Jason Leigh. I don't know what it is about her but I cringe when I see her. However, she nailed this performance.

If you don't get that every single Coen brothers' film has been a play on tried and true genres, classic golden era stuff and otherwise, deadpan delivered with acute regional specificity, you are watching the wrong films. Not to sound snotty or anything. It's just that, until I had watched a great deal of film history, I didn't get it either. I just re-watched it and found its merits for the first time. This has been the case for several of their films for me.

The Hudsucker Proxy is not the only overly stage-y film the brothers have made. Look at Miller's Crossing. It is practically a play. But all of these films have adhered closely to honoring the genres which they are mimicking.

To suggest, however, that anyone whatsoever associated with their films does not have talent is just asinine. Maybe you didn't like the film and that is your privilege. Then again, you really don't know what you're talking about.

You need to go back and watch the Howard Hawks films of the late '30's and early '40's. Acquaint yourself with the "screwball comedies".

[–] nosnojsirhc 16 years ago

eroq - thanks for citing his girl friday and bringing up baby: EXACTLY!
i have similar feeling about jennifer jason leigh and can bring it down to what irks me - it is something childish about her pout, which reminds me of ally sheedy and the 80s and whiny-baby-girls who are not cute at all. however, in this film and in the really great Vicious Circle (where she plays Dorothy Parker with brilliance and panache), she is an excellent actor. here, she rings the parody and brings something new to it, as well - she's fast, witty, and there is also a pathos in the character.

[–] donrogers42 14 years ago

I agree, Rosalind Russell and especially Katharine Hepburn are the vocal models for JJL's performance here, and her impression is quite good, though frequently over the top (in keeping with the spirit of the film).

The trouble is that neither Russell nor Hepburn ever played the "tough career gal with a heart of supportiveness" role. I'm thinking of Loretta Young in Platinum Blonde, Barbara Stanwyck in Meet John Doe, and especially Jean Arthur in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. If you try to imagine it, you'll realize that neither Russell nor Hepburn would have been at all suitable for those roles -- they were not nearly "soft-centered" enough.

I don't think Young's or Stanwyck had particularly distinctive voices, but Jean Arthur certainly did. If JJL was going to base her vocal performance on a 30's-era actress, I think Jean Arthur would have been the way to go, and I have no doubt JJL could have pulled it off.

[–] partydjz (425) 4 years ago

Yes Barbara Stanwyck, exactly, she exemplified the strong female character. This character performed by JJL was a stereotype of the 1930's female characters mentioned throughout this thread, not any actress specifically.

FEMALE CASTING: The Coen Brothers Fatal Achilles Heel

FEMALE CASTING: The Coen Brothers Fatal Achilles Heel