Probably their simplest film and a great starting point if you’re looking to get into the Coens, but not their best effort by a long shot. I attribute that mostly to the directors not quite having found their brand of presenting stupidity in a charming way just yet. It’s a really fun film with a lot of entertaining scenes, however sometimes it tips into annoying/hysterical territory for me. The screwball/slapstick comedy would get perfected on _The Hudsucker Proxy_, while I’d argue _O Brother Where Art Thou_ and _Burn After Reading_ execute the idea of the idiotic protagonist a little better. It’s also not really trying to elevate its premise in any way, this is very much a film that’s to be enjoyed on the surface. Thankfully, there’s a lot going on there. The acting from everyone in the cast is pretty stellar (probably Cage’s most eccentric performance that isn’t OTT), there’s so much interesting camera movement and editing (lots of great POV shots) and the score/music choices are exactly right for the tone they’re aiming for. Overall, this is a wacky, unpredictable ride from start to finish. The sum of its parts doesn’t add up to something more, but I’ll be revisiting this one.

6.5/10