Movie Review – The Buster Scruggs Ballad (2018)



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Buster Scruggs Ballad, 2018.

Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.
Featured: Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits and Brendan Gleeson. Bill Heck, Zoe Kazan, Tyne Daly, Willie Watson, Harry Melling, Grainger Hines, Jonjo O'Neill, Saul Rubinek, Chelcie Ross, Stephen Root, David Krumholtz and Clancy Brown.

SYNOPSIS:

An anthology film composed of six stories, each dealing with a different aspect of life in the old west.

The Wild West was rough. Structuring an anthology film around such a controversial but extremely entertaining period is also a challenge and constitutes both the greatest strength and the most glaring defect of renowned directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, Buster Scruggs Ballad (ignore the title because it is only the title of the first story).

Forget the worry of getting shot at in the blink of an eye, as so many legendary characters went extinct at the time, it is in the blink of an eye how quickly the two brothers change of tonicity, and wander fable in fable; Starting things off with a beautiful, shaven, tight-fitting guitar, general antithesis of what one might consider a gunman in the wild west, Buster Scruggs of Tim Blake Nelson as an elite shooter thirsty for blood that can not help getting rid of others in a ridiculous way. Slip stuff and then go into a little musical, but before you know it, the stories become depressing and often more focused on the characters. The first 30 minutes are so loaded with adrenaline and the particular humor of the filmmakers (for once, I mean this statement in the literal sense), that even when slower tales resist, it's hard to do not feel the cohesion of Buster Scruggs Ballad as a whole is far from the Coen brothers.

Fortunately, they know too well how to tell stories so that all this is locked up dead in a grave. From gunslingers to bank robbers to gold prospecting and more, Buster Scruggs Ballad also uses each subsequent story to focus on a different aspect of the western lifestyle. This not only helps to forgive and overlook the extremely inconsistent tonal rhythm, but it also allows them to tell stories on a smaller scale that still have a great emotional impact. Liam Neeson, who does not speak, travels (sorry if you wanted the western version of Taken, Coen's love subverting expectations and placing the actors against the guy) with a man without arms or legs who recites everything, from Shakespeare to iconic American speeches before an audience for money, and while l & rsquo; Story takes a much darker turn than it does already (taking into account both its dry and dreary color scheme and general history), it is to be welcomed what they actually explore a slice of the lives of people with disabilities in a very masculine and macho era, where having a lot of physical presence that you have been pretty much thrown out as useless and worthless.

Elsewhere, a story featuring a gorgeous Zoe Kazan who could potentially love a loving Bill Heck is the longest in the group, but it still feels like it's something that the Coen brothers wanted to transform in a feature film, but never did for any reason. Like every story here in the sextet, the ending is tragic and pique, but there is also the feeling that the characters are just not finished. Even the dialogue lacks the real spark of Coen's conversations, leaving the full weight of the actor to bring out the eccentric Western jargon while using the proper facial expressions to his advantage. Similarly, a repetitive story is one in which Tom Waits is determined to find gold, determined and lively, using an unorthodox but presumably authentic method for discovering gold. It's fascinating to watch once, but not five times or as many times as it happens (it certainly looks like five), though the highlight is nice for the crowd.

Buster Scruggs Ballad Functions work best when stories come in and out, like a fast-paced James Franco slamming a robbery into a bank, surrounded by violence, brilliantly playing a black comedy that only the Coen brothers can do. The jokes are effective, the thirst for blood is satisfied and the message of the story is announced with precision and clarity. Then comes the last story, a case of diligence strictly conducive to conversation and based on current philosophical debates that concern the entire portfolio of the Coen brothers. It's all phantasmagorical, as evidenced by the visual aesthetic of another world and ghostly, but at this stage of the film, you're still at the stage where you want it to end.

Visually, Buster Scruggs Ballad Director Bruno Delbonnel, a longtime collaborator, is one of the best of the year, thanks in part to his exceptional work and the diversity of his places. Narrative tones may not make the transition well, but at least there is always something beautiful to look for in the changes, from large, dusty landscapes to close-ups depicting golden dots. inside a metal plate washed with water. None of the stories are necessarily terrible, but the detail is entirely in the cinematographic style, even if it is the first Coen's film to be shot digitally. Of course, it's disappointing, but the movie looks amazing. And that comes from my TV screen experience of about 40 inches; I can not imagine what Buster Scruggs Ballad It seems that Netflix gives him this type of treatment in addition to putting it forward on its streaming platform.

It would be easy to watch for two whole hours of Buster Scruggs himself, but the Coen brothers seem to use the genre genre and Western anthology to comment on their nihilistic views and on the grounds explored from the past, which means The Coen brothers' ballad. That sounds pretty self-indulgent, but when you're both of those and you can still weave entertaining and stimulating moments poetically parallel to your masturbatory urges, you're allowed to follow that path.

Flashing myth – Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new comments, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my Patreon Affiliate, Non-Flickering Myth, or email me at [email protected]

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