Raising Arizona (1987)

This is the Coen Brothers’ second film after their impressive debut, Blood Simple.

And it couldn’t be more different.

While Blood Simple is a tight thriller, Raising Arizona is a comedy that’s all over the place, from the oppressing squalor of the trailer park to a mystical bike rider from Hell.

Needless to say, reviews were mixed.

Roger Ebert, specifically, disliked it, noting that the accents were too unbelievable.

Well, we think he’s dead wrong.

And the accents are one of the best parts.

This might be one of the greatest openings in film history.

Cage’s voice over serves to push the story along, much like Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim, and sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

There is so much information, so much story, so much attention to detail packed into those first 10 minutes. Yet it never feels forced or rushed.

The characters feel fleshed out as well. Their quirks and motivations are clearly laid out and we feel support for them because they are just so sincerely themselves.

Nicolas fits perfectly within the Coen’s form of humor.

He delivers his lines so seriously even though they, and the situations he finds himself in, are the opposite.

Cage has said he viewed his character, H.I. McDonnough as a cartoon, specifically Woody Woodpecker (you can see a tattoo of Woody on his arm).

Yet he never reduces H.I. to a mere cartoon. Cage has a love and respect for him, much like a kid watching a cartoon may have for the character on screen.

Even though H.I. may not be the brightest, Cage brings such sincerity to the character that even though we’re laughing at him, we’re rooting for him too.

Guess Monday’s Film