Of the other Coen brothers films I've seen, Fargo must be the closest in tone to this, their latest. Like that other, it's loosely grounded in genre but enfolds within itself disparate and weird elements - spy, caper, crime, domestic drama, slapstick, absurdist and black comedy, etc - and while it's not as moving as Fargo oddly was, it's funny and leaves one with a good feeling. Much of the humour comes from the nous with which the characters are played - Malkovich, Clooney and Pitt are particularly good at conveying nuance (often nuances of idiocy and gormlessness), but Frances McDormand isn't much shaded, while Tilda Swinton has less to work with but, as usual, pulls her weight (lookin' very Julia Gillard, incidentally!). So, a good one.
(w/ Michelle)
