Drive-Away Dolls – Review
Well, the raunch comedy is alive and well in Hollywood, and in this one, it’s paired with a classic caper film.
From director Ethan Coen (1/2 of the venerated Coen Brothers) comes Drive-Away Dolls, the story of two women, both stuck in the aftermaths of break-ups, decide to take a trek to Tallahasee utilizing what is known as a “drive-away” service.
**NOTE: this post has beenupdated with linkd to the audio and video versions of Mark and Ryan’s discussion of the film at the end of Mark’s review below. You can read Ryan’s review of the film HERE. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
84 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke
Directed by Ethan Coen
Synopsis:
Jamie regrets her breakup with her girlfriend, while Marian needs to relax. In search of a fresh start, they embark on an unexpected road trip to Tallahassee. Things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals.
When someone wants to transport a vehicle from one place two another, a “drive-away” service contracts with someone to literally drive it from origin to destination within a certain time period.
It’s almost like a scheduled way to jump a train, lol.
Regardless, our two travelers, Jamie and Marian (played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan), leave New York, supposedly to be in Tallahassee by the end of the next day, only to be constantly derailed by Jamie’s need to try to resurrect Marian’s everyday and love life.
The fact they’re driving a car meant for another pair of who arrive too late to pick it up and who have motivations beyond a trip to Florida…
Well, that’s the caper portion of the film, as the pair of goons track the girls down the coast in an attempt to retrieve the car and its contents.
What are those contents? Well, if I told you, it would completely ruin the surprise of the reveal, which is a chunk of fun worth experiencing for yourself without it being spoiled ahead of time. But trust me, it’s worth it.
So, what’s the raunch part of the movie, then?
Well, that would be the throwback aspect of the old 80s/90s comedies, where nothing is off-limits, from drugs to sex to commentary that would make a modern college student flip RIGHT THE FUCK OUT.
The fact Jamie and Marian, and so all of the sex and commentary is framed from that POV has absolutely no bearing on anything. The “basement party” was a staple of the 70s/80s, and here it’s the setting of a stereotypical depiction of an all lesbian softball team having a rotating make-out session.
Qualley and Viswanathan are absolutely fantastic here (but I’m fairly certain someone is going to complain about now having gay women playing gay women.
Whatever, man. Get over yourselves; it’s called acting.
The goons are great. Colman Domingo is an awesome villain, Matt Damon’s cameo is delightful (and hysterical), and the movie itself is just a fun little romp across the country.
Those looking for a “Papi Pedro”-driven film are going to be disappointed, however.
Look, I’m going to be honest here; I don’t know what your specific taste in comedy is, but I can tell you that — objectively — Drive-Away Dolls is funny as hell.
Will it offend some people? Absolutely.
But truth be told, I’ve long been of the opinion that comedy isn’t comedy if somebody isn’t getting offended. Why? Because laughing at someone else forces us all to be able to laugh at ourselves when it’s our turn in the barrel (bonus points if you know the joke that’s drawn from, BTW).
Drive-Away Dolls is unabashedly raw and pure and hysterical, and God help me, I enjoyed it.
Even the parts that made me cringe a little bit inside.
Maybe I enjoyed those parts the best.
Drive-Away Dolls hits theaters Friday, February 23, and stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, Matt Damon, and Pedro Pascal.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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