402 - Raising Arizona review

The Coen brothers’ second directorial effort establishes one of their most enduring and incredible traits quite early on: though their films will vary wildly, they’ll each be instantly recognizable as theirs, laced with an offbeat energy that can be bleak or joyous, humming quietly or screaming, all the while maintaining its singularity. It also establishes their gift of the ever-so-slightly bizarre through its story, which concerns the efforts of a bumpkin odd couple (Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a petty thief and policewoman) to start a family by absconding with one of the quints of a wealthy local businessman. Nearly everyone speaks in a sort of rural-noir tongue, while the manic energy gives much of the film the feel of a sweet roller coaster that lasts just a tad too long. Despite the tone and pitch, pic features some of the most notable pathos out of the Coen’s filmography. Enthralling in its weirdness and eclectic set of characters, “Raising Arizona” instantly becomes one of the brother’s most notable efforts, though perhaps not among their very best.

4 out of 5