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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

[–] Veltaine 12 years ago

She was doing a Katherine Hepburn impersonation throughout.

She was very charming, I thought.

"My car's outside."
"Naturally."

[–] hodie 11 years ago

I found her voice grating, but then I find Hepburn's voice grating as well. My favorite JJL film is still Rush. Fine actress, but I didn't enjoy listening to her.
The only women I haven't cared for in Coen films are JJL in THP and Julianne Moore in The Big Lebowski.
I love Frances McDormand and Marcia Gay Harden.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

[–] information_police 9 years ago

They hit it out of the park with Julianne Moore in Lebowski.

I usually like JJL, although I don't think she's as great as many do. I couldn't get into this movie and she was part of the reason why.

"Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules. "
-Walter Sobchak

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

You're either a troll or dumb as a doornail.

JJL was perfect in this film, as was everyone else. She should have gotten an Oscar nomination in fact.

Others have already pointed out why she spoke the way she did, so there's nothing more to say.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

[–] Goranjake 9 years ago

It's like people don't realize what she was supposed to act like. I agree, she should've at least got a nomination for this one.

[–] willcwhite 8 years ago

Yes, it's clear that JJL was going for a Rosalind Russell / Katherine Hepburn vocal style.

The problem is, she hasn't mastered it. She too often slips out of Mid-Atlantic and into Southern Belle. And even when she gets close to it, it doesn't sound natural. She pitches it too low and her tone disappears.

Paradoxically, it makes her seem too young for this role, even though she was something like 31 when she played it and the character could have been mid-20s to late 30s. It makes her sound like she's play-acting.

I thought John Mahoney was pretty inconsistent in this regard as well.

FEMALE CASTING: The Coen Brothers Fatal Achilles Heel

FEMALE CASTING: The Coen Brothers Fatal Achilles Heel