User reviews

Another fascinating piece from the Coen Brothers, 'The Hudsucker Proxy' is an homage to the films of the 1930s. From the grey faux-Gothic cityscape to the over-the-top acting and rapid fire dialogue to the subdued colors to the stark sets, this film hearkens back to an earlier era of films.

The plot is simple enough. When company president Waring Hudsucker commits suicide, the board of directors, led by the deliciously evil Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman) determines to devalue the stock by putting a 'shmoe' in charge of the company so that when the late Hudsucker's controlling interest in stock hits the market in 30 days, Mussburger's cabal can snap it up on the cheap. Enter shmoe Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins). Jennifer Jason Leigh is the newspaper reporter who infiltrates Hudsucker Industries under the guise of secretary, and is Barnes' love interest in the film.

Robbins performs more than adequately but is outshone by terrific performances by Newman and, in particular, by Leigh, who absolutely nails this role. Her saucy, lilt of the tongue is wonderful; she simply oozes sensual sass, and all in the very decent parameters of decades gone by in Hollywood.

Other highlights of the film include - the wonderful sets, where less is more; the usual Coen cinematography, which makes the film a visual delight above and beyond acting and plot; the clock (an unbilled role, in a sense). Curious characters pop up and return – Buzz the Elevator Operator, the Clock Maintainer, and many others. And, of course … that clock!

As will all Coen brothers films, this one calls me to see it again, as I always seem to discover new elements when watching their works for the second, third, fourth times, and beyond. A very worthwhile film – enjoy!

7 out of 10

The Coen Brothers broke some new ground with The Hudsucker Proxy. I had never seen populist films like the ones Frank Capra satirized so well since Preston Sturges did it in his golden years at Paramount. But Sturges was hemmed in by the Code and the Coens had far more freedom of expression to act.

The reason that this film is set in an idealized version of the Fifties so that a popular fad of a simple product could be worked into the plot as an integral part of the story line. With no more worlds to conquer after a report that his company Hudsucker Industries is richer than ever, President and founder Charles Durning takes a running start out of the board meeting and plunges 44 stories to his demise. A spectacular exit to say the least.

But it's left the board who are just yes men with a real problem. Durning owned 87% of the stock so his word was law. And his will specified within 30 days that 87% was to be put on the open market and sold to any and all on the Stock Exchange. That leaves these guys in a real jam.

But second in command Paul Newman has a Capra villain solution to the problem. Find the biggest schnook around and make him president and then the market will lose confidence and the stock value will crash and the inside boys can buy it up dirt cheap. The schnook Newman finds works in the mail-room at Hudsucker Industries, new employee Tim Robbins who's newly arrived from the Muncie Indiana College of Business.

Newman looks like he's having a great old time playing Sidney J. Musberger in the role Douglass Dumbrille would have had in those old Capra Films. Tim Robbins is the innocent Gary Cooper/Jimmy Stewart type Capra hero. Robbins is great, but if this had been done thirty years earlier Jerry Lewis would have been perfect casting. I'm sure if Jerry saw the film he'd think so too.

Playing the Jean Arthur/Barbara Stanwyck is Jennifer Jason Leigh who is appropriately a snoop and scoop Lois Lane reporter. But who could not resist a charming oaf as Robbins is?

Robbins does happen to invent a popular Fifties fad and Newman's plans are foiled, but eventually get back on track. If you are fans of those Frank Capra classics you know how this all turns out though the Coen Brothers used another popular fantasy film Stairway To Heaven for a surrealistic type ending.

I think the chance to see Paul Newman get a great comedy part like he finally did in Slap Shot and do some great work with it is reason enough to see The Hudsucker Proxy. And this review is dedicated to that canny observer of the American scene, Preston Sturges.

This is a fun film - very lighthearted with beautiful sets, fast paced dialog and caricatures at every corner and turn.

It seems to pay homage to old Capra screwball comedies - and it's pretty much old fashioned farce right from the beginning.

The film is far from perfect. Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance is labored. She tries to squeeze every last snicker she can with her character. She misses the mark in my opinion, moving and talking with so much effort and pace - just to get a laugh - that in the end, she gets none.

Paul Newman goes the other way - he understates his character and when contrasted to the lunacy of both the environment and the story around him - it makes for some great scenes. He makes a great villain in this movie - and for me, he's a large reason why the movie works.

Tim Robbins does a good job, especially at the start of the film. His best moments come when the story and the environment overwhelm his character.

There's great moments, like the ridiculous Muncie fight song, the Monty Python-esque mail room, Charles Durning with wings and the grim, faceless board members - with their inane questions and so frightened to lose their authority that they agree to virtually anything.

This film isn't genius or anything, but if you enjoyed the antics of something like 'Arsenic and Old Lace' then this is worth catching. It's delightfully silly - and has some interesting visuals and symbolism along the way.

I don`t think that I`ve enjoyed a movie so much for years. The film is beautifully shot ( the opening pan over a snow laden New York skyline is breathtaking). The acting is uniformly excellent (Jennifer Jason Lee gives one of the best female comedy performances of the last decade. She`s outstanding!) and the film is directed in that warm but sharp-eyed manner of previous US social comedy directors such as Frank Capra and Preston Sturgess. I first saw the film in the cinema. I`ve since seen it again on television, and the photography doesn`t impress so much on the small screen.

If you haven`t already seen it, try to see it on a big screen. Sadly the movie got a very small release in the UK and is almost unknown over here.I am so very glad I caught it. It`s terrific.

In 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy was released to indifferent reviews and failed box-office. It failed to get a single oscar nomination. After watching it several years ago, and again tonight, I can only come up with one question: Why? Everything in this movie clicks like the huge clock that towers over NYC from the Hudsucker building. Tim Robbins has rarely been better and provides a worthy successor to the clueless but ultimately endearing Capra heroes of the 30's, like Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. Jennifer Jason Leigh, who has been so good in many movies, provides a winning cross between the professionalism of Rosalind Russel's character in His Girl Friday and the archetypal Katherine Hepburn character (she even gets the voice right!). Paul Newman makes an ideal villain, and Charles Durning has a memorable cameo. The cast is not even the best part. The movie is visually stunning (where were the cinematography and art direction oscars on this one?) and adds all the more to the storyline. The direction flawlessly invokes the madcap comedies of the 30's with a plot that is heavily influenced by Sturges and Capra but has some now-typical Coen twists in it as well. However, the best part is the screenplay. A true american original, it exceeds especially with the hula-hoop plotline. This movie flopped in' 94, but hey--so did Vertigo in '58 and The Magnificent Ambersons in '42. Some genius takes time to be appreciated--lets hope time appreciates this true Coen masterpiece. Makes a good double bill with the similarly screwball but more over-the-top Raising Arizona

The first time I saw this film, I enjoyed it. No doubt about it.

I wondered why some people didn't like it. What's not to like?

I saw it again, and paid more attention to some of the finer details, realizing what a rich, full textured film it was.

And yet again I saw it. Still more revelations.

In fact, every time I see it, and I'm sure to see it again, I enjoy it more and more with each subsequent viewing.

This film's narrative is nearly as perfect as the Hula Hoop itself, despite the albeit fictional account of the invention of said "dingus".

But it strikes me as odd and unfortunate when I encounter someone who's seen this and not enjoyed it.

All I can say is, have you tried it more than once? It isn't exactly what I'd call an acquired taste, but when you see how rich in detail and humour it is, you may begin to appreciate it for what it truly is; a great film that deserves a second chance. K.

I cannot understand why this movie has not earned the respect it deserves. Norville Barnes represents high hopes and bright ideas, and when he starts out his intentions are pure. But when money makes him lose his focus, only love can put him back on the right track. Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh are masterful in this movie, which is one of my personal favorites.

The most stylish and innovative American filmmakers of the late 80's and 90's were the brother writer, director team of Joel and Ethan Coen. Blood Simple, Raising Arizona and Barton Fink all displayed an energy and panache that had been missing from American film since the early seventies. The Hudsucker Proxy followed and it was the brothers most ambitious film to date.

Steeped in fifties nostalgia the film deals with corporate greed and the invention and success of the Hula Hoop. Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins looking very much like Dagwood Bumstead) is in search of a job in the big city. Optimistic and filled with idealism he gets in on the ground floor of a big company and rises quickly only to be used as a pawn by a scheming board chairman Sidney Mussburger (Mr. Dithers?). Instead he turns the tables and makes the company millions with his invention. Enter a female reporter who attempts to expose the company's duplicity but instead falls in love with Barnes while Chairman Mussburger plots revenge.

Proxy's first hour is filled with typical Coen imagery and fine tailored editing. A boardroom suicide is grand theatre and a montage of the Hula Hoop's accidental success is masterful. But once achieved Hudsucker becomes sluggish and uninteresting. Robbins' transition from the mail room flunky to board room tyrant is unconvincing while Paul Newman as Mussburger is too healthy looking an octenagerian whose passion in life is all consuming greed and power. Jennifer Jason Leigh is downright grating, lost somewhere between doing Hildy Johnson and her version of Dorothy Parker.

The film is Capraesque (shades of John Doe mixed with Wonderful Life) and that's a bad fit for the acerbic, dark comedies the Coen's excel at. Visually Hudsucker is a good looking film but like the Hula Hoop in 59, it fades fast.

That's the only reason that I can think of that explains why this movie wasn't more popular. Or maybe it's because this movie is more heart-on-your-sleeve sweet and uncynical than other Coen brothers movies. Indeed, the co-star and love interest, Amy Archer, must overcome her cynicism in order to see that she can love Norville. But like all Coen brother's movies, the atmospheric strangeness is really the star of the show.

Normally, I'm very wary of watching a Coen brothers film. They're usually very good (Raisin' Arizona, Fargo), or very bad (O' Brother, Where Art Thou, The Ladykillers). But the only film I had never seen from them after all these years was "The Hudsucker Proxy." Unfortunately for me, I wish I had seen this much earlier. I thought it was very clever, and I'm surprised Jennifer Jason Leigh wasn't nominated for her role. As someone earlier noted, I thought this performance was more in homage to Katherine Hepburn than Rosalind Russell (as one of the bullets in the "Trivia" section noted that Leigh was given Russell as her inspiration). Sure, Russell's role in "His Girl Friday" might have been the inspiration, but accent, mannerisms, delivery of lines etc. is definitely more Hepburn than Russell. Or should I say more like Cate Blanchett from "The Aviator"? Finally, I felt I needed to comment on Mr. Moo's message on June 24, 2004, where he says, among other things, "In the beginning, there were silent films. Charlie Chaplin made some, and generally speaking, they were rubbish." That is perhaps one of the dumbest comments I've ever seen made on an IMDb board. I couldn't finish reading his comment...there was zero credibility at that point.

This movie is the exception to the rule when they say, "They don't make 'em like they used to." Because the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi sure did top them all with this one. Tim Robbins, along with the rest of the cast, is pitch perfect. From the first second of the movie to the last, my eyes are glazed over with utter fascination. Composer Carter Burwell is the next John Williams in my book. His score accents brilliantly every emotion witnessed. This movie is funny, romantic, perverse, and whimsical. It says a lot that after years of not making movies, Paul Newman chose to make this one.

Although set in the late 50's, this is really the Coens' tribute to the Hollywood urban/screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's. Such a milieu is appropriate for their love of regular schmucks and off-beat, rapid-fire dialogue. And it's a pretty good story, one that would be right at home among the works of Capra, Hawks and Sturges. But the Coens have a tendency to go big, and when working in an idiom that already calls for big performances, it's a case of overkill. From the exaggerated design of the corporate machine to Jennifer Jason Leigh's ridiculous attempt at a period dialect, it all screams "trying too hard." The tone is just too tongue-in-cheek, it needs a little more sincerity and a little less winking. The gags get smothered by all the stylistic choices, and consequently the film just isn't very funny. But it does have heart, in the same way that similarly goofy pictures like RAISING ARIZONA and O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? (another Sturges tribute) do. Leigh might be a disaster on every level, but Robbins pulls off his smarter-than-he-looks-but-not-by-much character very well. Not as bad as I feared, but definitely not one of their best.

I know this is supposed to be a classic and classy comedy, but for me, it was just trying too hard and doing too little for almost the whole film, using long contrived set shots that are nicely cinematic, but don't do anything for me as a viewer. The whole premise is a sound enough idea, and opens well, but after almost an hour into the movie I still felt I was somehow still trapped in the introduction - despite early sparks it took a long time to get going, and then never seemed to really move with any pace.

Charles Durning added a special touch in his near-cameo role, and there are a decent handful of funny moments from Robbins in particular, but overall I found the film predictable, sluggish and ultimately disappointing, as I'd expected so much more. A shame.

This is one good looking movie and has many Coen recognisable signature quirks to make it worthy of a comparison to their earlier and later works. I will come back on those quirks later.

I love the way the Coens always combine high-brow subtlety with low-brow slapstick which makes it so accessible. This movie is not heavy on subtlety but there are some genius moments in it to make it watchable again and again. Newman for one is great in this movie and having the best of times. He makes minimal acting an artform. Really, he could act anyone of that screen with his eyes closed. Jennifer Jason Leigh is a contrast with her hand waving,her Katherine Hepburn- affected-ballsy way of speaking and general overacting but I guess she sets the scene quite brilliantly to complement the decor and general 30's feel of the movie. You see, apparently the Coens have a penchant for the 30's movies style(and so they should.. Many a great movie was made in that decade) but the story in which an imbecile's dingus, against all odds became a total Fad and all the rage, doesn't quite fit that decade. I can't think of any Dingus which became all the rage in the thirties (life was too hard for thingamabobs then, I suppose) and the earliest example, the hoolahoop, was definately a brainchild of the 50's (Life was good and spendable income to buy doodahs was more readily available ). I don't mind that at all but I was confused to find out that it was set in the 50's because of all the visual and audible references to the 30's. If Mussburgers office wasn't an art-deco Love-fest (that clock!)I don't know what is.

I guess this review is definitely style over content but you know what? That just doesn't matter because plot is secondary to the visuals, and dialogue in this movie. And that is just alright by me. It is the reason why these movies are so good for repeat viewings. Once you know a plot, you are not likely to watch it again just for the plot's sake. It is the sights, the sounds the dialogue that makes you want to watch a movie again and again. Oh you don't believe me? Name your favourite movie (not the one you tell your friends is your favourite but the one you watch again and again). What makes you want to watch it repeatedly? Is it because you want to know what happens for the 100th time? Ofcourse not! You want to watch it for the 100th time because of the dialogue, the fun, the special effects the object of your desire etc. etc...

Now I am not saying that plot is not important but I am saying that what makes Coen Brother's movies so good is that they think about their viewer/audience who wants to watch their movies until they can repeat every line in the movie(and becoming sad anoraks in the process). I actually know people who watched the Big Lebowski half way and walked out of the cinema only to find them Lebowski addicts after one more viewing. I am not naming names but you know who you are...

I liked this movie the first time round... I know I will love it later...

Now for the Coen parallels between this movie and the Big Lebowski:

Jennifer's way of speaking was similar to Julianne's Maud. They were both "feisty" Brunettes who fall for the main character(I wouldn't call 'em heroes)

The voice over to remind us that it is a fairytale at the beginning and end by guardian-angel-types. (Sam Elliot in Big and Bill Cobbs in the Hudsucker) Bizarre Dance Dream Sequences that have nothing to do with the plot but are hugely enjoyable. Blond Bombshell (Anna-Nicole Smith in Hudsucker and Tara Reid in the Big Lebowski)Who want to seduce the hero. Steve Buscemi. Memorable Lines...

So all in all I guess I recommend it!

****

The Hudsucker Proxy is a brilliantly entertaining movie from possibly the greatest writer/director partnership ever. The film is so engaging and whacky that many unfamiliar with the Coen's style may be turned away by it. However, the Coens are filmmakers who know what they are doing and this film is a perfect blend of reality and surrealism. Reminiscent of a classic movie from the 40s or 50s The Hudsucker Proxy has an atmosphere and look to it that we seldom see anymore. Part of this is due to the fabulous set design and costumes. But also, the Coens' direction and dialogue are top notch. One particular scene (near the beginning of the movie, so don't worry about spoilers) concerning a newspaper, a coffee cup and a heavy wind fills you with magical glee and perfectly sets the scene of this fantastic fairytale-like fable. Some may be disappointed by the ending but on close inspection it is a brilliant metaphor in a film that says so much about success, failure and how people cope with both. Paul Newman, Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh are superb and are backed up by a cast that all gleam with their own wonderful persona including Steve Buscemi (sadly not in it enough), Bruce Campbell, John Mahoney and Charles Durning. So, If you want to see a film that will fascinate you, make you laugh and fill you with that magical joy that only the Coen Bros. can supply then The Hudsucker Proxy is the film for you.

I think this was the first Coen Brothers film I saw; I certainly have a strong memory of seeing it one holiday from Uni with my mate Chris at the wonderful Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh. Tim Robbins is ideal in the lead role, and this stands as one of the most whimsical and outright quirky of their films. It's unquestionably funny and visually clever, but I do find the tone starts to wear and grate somewhat. But it's also hard to resist and blessed with a warm heart alongside the darker shades.

The Coens do Capra, with their inimitable style and wit. More specifically, this is the innocent hick in the corrupt big city thing of Mr. Smith, Mr Deeds and Meet John Doe, complete with Tim Robbins as a suitably lanky substitute for Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper, and a wonderful fast-talking tomboy journo turn from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Paul Newman is similarly fantastic as the evil corporate bigwig, and the tale of a patsy turning the tables on his manipulators through his own naivety and innocence is perfectly packed with inspired moments, wonderfully fantastic set design, nutty dialogue, great music and that streak of brilliant lunacy running through all of the Coens' magical oeuvre. Makes my "top ten of the decade" for sure, this beauty can only mature and grow in stature over time.

This is the first Coen Brothers film that has left an underwhelming impression on me. I am currently watching all their films starting from their earliest and moving chronologically. Before this, I saw Barton Fink, a brilliant satire drama. I was expecting another brilliant (hard-hitting) satire, as the synopsis hinted. First off, I am not too unhappy. Salute to them for trying something new and not getting stuck to one genre or type of storytelling. The film is enjoyable, like a children's fantasy film, and that's my gripe with it. The film is great, but the characters and the message are too childish to take seriously.

I like fast-talking in films, but here fast-talk is used as an accessory, not a necessity. Time is money in their world and if they talk fast it would take less of their time, but it was overdone in my opinion. Second, I didn't like the character of Tim Robbins. I don't like seeing characters on screen who can't figure out the simplest of things. The purpose of his character was to serve as a pawn for the board members to realize their scheme to fruition. He is an imbecile but finds his way to the top. He is like the Tramp but not well realized or likable like him. The film also went overboard with the fantasy-like stuff.

The dialogues were smart and snappy as ever. Props go to The Coen Brothers as ever, as well as to Sam Raimi. Bruce Campbell was also in the movie, love seeing him on screen. My favorite character was of course Amy Archer, feisty and candid talker, Jennifer Jason Leigh played her part admirably. Tim Robbins gave a fantastic performance, Paul Newman was also great in his role. Buzz was the best saying 'Buddy' in his each sentence. The cinematography was the best thing about this film, Roger Deakins never disappoints, shots were well-composed and perfectly captured the dreamlike quality of the world. The score by Carter Burwell sounded full of magic, like Christmas.

Deftly mixing elements from Sturges, Capra, and yes, even De Palma, the Coens along with Sam Raimi have fashioned a modern masterpiece. As with all Coen films, they invite you into their jokes, and if you don't get them, they just don't seem to care-- and that's a good thing. A huge flop, film lovers with a sense of history and humor will be gushing about this one for a long..long..time. Bordering on a musical version of "Brazil" at points, it is as deliberately studied a critique of contemporary American capitalism as it is a searing stare at Hollywood. Paul Newman like all of the Coens' and Raimi's meticulously selected actors seem literally born for their parts. Using the most classical of Hollywood stylistic techniques in the most seamless manner, but with added auteur hyperbole they show us who we are through the comic lens of the camera, always reminding us that it is just a movie. Listen for the title of Amy Archer's Pulitzer prize winning article. Favorite line: "the people look..like..ants."

After Waring Hudsucker, the head of Hudsucker Industries unexpectedly and inexplicably commits suicide. The scheming head of his board of directors, Sidney Musberger plots to cash in on his former boss's demise by appointing a moron to run the company. When the stock falls low enough, Musberger and his equally conniving board members can then buy the stock and restore the company's profits. The unprincipled head executive chooses Norvile Barnes who has only just been employed in the mail room. Clumsy and credulous, he appears to be the likely choice. However, feisty reporter Amy Archer is suspicious of the board's choice of the new head of Hudsucker Industries and strives to uncover their nefarious motives.

Revisiting the same kind of off-the-wall comedy that they collaborated on with Sam Raimi in Crimewave, The Hudsucker Proxy, with which Raimi would share a screenwriting credit, with both, owed much to the 1950s Hollywood screwball comedies of Howard Hawks and Frank Capra. With a further dose of inspiration coming from the animated shorts of Tex Avery. It's a simple premise that sees Tim Robbin's wide-eyed, naive Norvile Barnes arriving in New York to seek his fortune. Taking a job in the mailroom before coming to the attention of Paul Newman's slimy Sidney Musberger who seeks to exploit Barne's oblivious nature. Smelling a Rat of course is the dedicated news reporter, with Jennifer Janson Leigh's Amy Archer going undercover, and becoming the unsuspecting Noville's secretary. Yes, you are pretty much on somewhat familiar ground here, with the inevitable romantic subplot on the cards. Predictable though it may be the Coen's compensate for this with some superb stylistic touches.

From the cavernous, depths of the Mailroom, to the gleaming, marbled interiors of the executive offices, The Brother's Coen seemingly creates a world in of itself. Taking their cues from Terry Gilliam's Brazil. It's as grand and elaborate as its goofy, off-the-wall set pieces. From Charles Durning's suicidal Waring Hudsucker (the late Charles Durning) taking a swan-dive from the top floor of his overly towering skyscraper to neatly pastiching the treacly 1950s newsreels of yesteryear. They also brilliantly in a matter of minutes chronicle the growing hula-hoop craze.

The entire cast clearly seemed to be enjoying themselves here, with Robbins throwing himself into his role with considerable enthusiasm. As does Leigh who sublimely channels Katherine Hepburn, while Newman is suitably conniving and aloof, as Musbrger who is nothing more than a figurative snake-oil salesman and huckster. The movie is also well served by its wacky, offbeat characters from a fast-talking elevator operator named Buzz to Amy's crusty Editor and Chief, played by the late John Mahoney of Frasier fame. Not forgetting Sam Raimi regular, and B-movie icon Bruce Campbell as a sleazy, slick fellow journalist, Smitty. Topping them off is Moses, the time-keeper who maintains Hudsucker Industries clock tower, and not only serves as the movie's narrator but who offers some pearls of wisdom and seems to know more than a man in his lowly menial position should. And who in one of the movie's more surreal flights of fantasy freezes time, and partially plays a part in influencing the outcome of the plot.

Indeed, the Coens do let the frenetic pacing get ahead of itself at times, and its kookiness on occasion doesn't quite hit the mark, but there's still some inspired inventiveness. As well as visual and comical panache that offsets it. For whatever shortcomings it has, The Hudsucker Proxy is a charming, goofball comedy bolstered by top performances from a first-rate cast and, rights the wrongs that the filmmaking siblings made with Crimewave.

I have to admit, there aren't many movies that warrant a 10 rating from me, but this is absolutely one of them.

Something about the film just works. The Coens are geniuses when it comes to making movies that I really can enjoy. I admit, I first saw "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?" and loved it so much. I had no idea this was by them too, and had I not seen a "Making of" on a show on Discovery years ago that showed how the scene where they fall off the building was done, I probably wouldn't have ever decided to TiVo this fine film.

The direction technique, acting, jokes, everything just works. This is the kind of movie that stands out in the crowd, makes me want to buy it on DVD and show it to everyone I know just to make them see what people miss when they read reviews by people like Siskel and Ebert, who gave it two thumbs down, but don't give a reason on their site.

Other movies I would recommend are O, Brother (Also directed by the Coen's) and Army of Darkness, which, maybe coincidentally, stars Bruce Campbell who plays a reporter in this movie. Bruce is his same old self. he has a presence, and is great in the few scenes he's in.

Tim Robbins is wonderfully cast as the lead in this role.

The elevator operator lent a wonderful character to the movie.

The two Cab drivers in the Café who perform the "I got gas" Bromo commercial type bit, were great narrating Norville's encounter with Amy.

The guy in the News room creating the Crossword puzzle with a Scrabble set asking people questions for clues. "The guy's a real moron, as in a five-letter word for Imbecile."

The music, oh, the music is wonderfully suited to the film.

There isn't one part of this movie I didn't like, honestly. I could watch it quite a few times before I got sick of it, then take a break, then come back and watch it again.

Highly recommended.

Joel and Ethan Coen have a little fun with this carefree romp through the 1950s executive suite. Tim Robbins plays Norman Barnes, a naïve yokel who trips off the bus and falls straight to the top of a major international corporation, literally taking an express elevator from the crowded basement mail room to the president's office. His breakneck appointment is a scheme by the bigwigs, a plot to artificially deflate stock prices while solidifying their control, but Barnes's adorably simple-minded ideas catch on with the public. He becomes an overnight media darling and the conniving corporates (led by a gravel-voiced Paul Newman) are forced to pivot to their Plan B. Meanwhile, Jennifer Jason Leigh puts on a heavy Mid-Atlantic accent, channeling Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday as a pushy, fast-talking, "one of the boys" press reporter who goes undercover to dig some dirt on the new boss.

In The Hudsucker Proxy, the Coens pay homage to many such golden-aged archetypes. The wide-eyed innocent who's in way over his head. The manipulative social elites who beg for comeuppance. The big-mouthed tough girl who's softer than she lets on. These are all familiar caricatures, more than a little worn out, but the eccentric performances of an all-star cast are good enough to pull them back from the brink. Robbins is the physical embodiment of a puppy dog: all knees and elbows, still growing into his body (and the big boys' world) despite standing at least a head taller than the men and women around him. He's both insightful and clueless. Leigh's worldly damsel can't help pulling the wool over the eyes of such a rube, then regretting it when he turns out to be deeper than the clowns she's been running with. And Newman is everything you'd want from a foil, cheerfully spitting and growling his way through a cloud of cigar smoke to toss a dozen dirty obstacles in their way.

Light, silly and playful, this was a nice break from the dark intensity of Fargo and Barton Fink, which bookend it in the Coens' filmography. It's nothing monumental or groundbreaking, a pastiche which boldly wears its inspirations on its sleeve (particularly the vast, towering architectural details, which seem to have been delivered straight from Lang's Metropolis), but the characters are warm, the cast give us their best and the dialogue is a real hoot. I've been enjoying it for years.

Gosh. Golly. What is it?

Take the sets from the Batman movie, let a comic book be your guide for dialogue, and cast Tim Robbins (what's not to like?) as your naive leading man; let Jennifer Jason Leigh do an imitation of young Kate Hepburn while using the body language of the young Barbara Stanwyck. What could be wrong with that? Oh, and add a very short Paul Newman (they should never let him stand next to Tim Robbins), "Yes, yes," he says, and flicks his major cigar, doing a passable Groucho.

Look, I loved the movies of the thirties and forties with Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper playing the honest (if simple) common man who wants to make good. It's a familiar plot -bring him to Town from Hicksville, pit him against the most cynical business world possible (this is sometimes a political scenario). Meet him up with the sharp-as-a-whip Career Woman (usually an undercover reporter out to get the Scoop). He realizes, too late,that he has told her his hopes and dreams with an open heart, and all the while she has been sticking the knife to him. She realizes, nearly too late, that she is in love; it rolls downhill, with delicious suspense, sometimes a full five minutes of conflict that seem like forever before the clinch and the closing credits roll.

It could have worked (it's worked before), but nobody here cared about the characters. The writer, the director - one assumes they conspired, the brothers Coen, as they have in the past. Who to blame? No matter. We are left with caricatures, badly presented and badly treated. The Tim Robbins character IS an imbecile; he has no original likability for us to return to; we do not know him and so we do not root for him. Tim Robbins' natural charm is inclined to buffoonery, and so he needs a script,and some (dare I say it?) direction). He can act, you just need to give him some clues. When one moment of true feeling, of human contact, occurs, it is because Jennifer Jason Leigh makes it happen, working against bad dialogue and somebody's misconceived Bryn Mawr accent. I like her, she keeps trying new things, but unfortunately, curiosity value does not a movie make.

I pay my dollar, I expect to be entertained. If this is a comedy, it isn't funny. If it is a return to "Mr. Deeds," there's no resemblance. You can't count on the audience's collective consciousness to provide EVERYTHING.

I liked "Fargo". I liked "Saving Arizona."

WHAT HAPPENED?