Directed by Ethan Coen — Screenplay by Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke.
Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls is set in the late 1990s and the film follows friends Jamie (played by Margaret Qualley) and Marian (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) go on a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida. However, what complicates things is that, due to a misunderstanding, the drive-away car that they are given the keys to a car that three criminals had planned to take and which contains an all-important cargo that they desperately need to get ahold of. As a result, while the more promiscuous Jamie tries to get Marian laid on the way to Tallahassee, criminals are desperately following in their footsteps in an attempt to retrieve what the drive-away car contains.
I am of two minds when it comes to Drive-Away Dolls. On the one hand, I genuinely liked the two leads’ rapport, as well as the many cameo appearances from recognizable actors (Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, etc.). I also found the inventive and funny scene transitions to be, for the most part, quite entertaining. On the other hand, I also think it lacked a consistent enough funny bone to actually make it a memorable ‘comedy‘ (though it has its moments), while the psychedelic insert-sequences that appear from time to time felt unnecessary. It is surprising how few jokes land with anything more than a shrug or a slightly raised corner of the mouth, and despite the relatively short runtime, you feel the absence of laughs in certain scenes. The subplots involving what happened to Pedro Pascal‘s character, or even the two guys chasing after our leads are less interesting than what’s happening with Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan (occasionally, though, they have their moments, especially when the two henchmen interact with Beanie Feldstein’s angry character — a fun supporting performance).
Sure, the arc of the central relationship is obvious, but their performances, whether it be the nervous, buttoned-up young woman played by Viswanathan, or the free-spirited Texan with a thick exaggerated accent played by Qualley, are genuinely fun to follow. This is especially the case with Margaret Qualley, who turns in a performance you don’t want to take your eyes off.
I really do think your take on this film will depend on how charitable you are with regard to the cartoony scene transitions, which I think, to some, will be perceived as obnoxious. I, however, had fun with them for the most part, despite them sometimes being too much. In totality, it is a fairly unremarkable offbeat, quirky, horny road film, which holds together thanks to the star power of its cast, the performances of its leads (especially Qualley’s memorable work), and, arguably, the inventiveness of the transitions. Still, it’s a surprisingly lightweight and slight work from one of the Coen brothers, which does get you to think about which brother possesses which strengths and interests. Joel and Ethan really are best together, even if this is a totally passable flick.
6.5 out of 10
– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 