The Coen Brothers: The Complete Unofficial Guide

by Dan Jolin

Gangster movie, Western, film noir, rom com, screwball, musical, even the Biblical epic... There are few genres left untouched and untwisted by sibling visionaries Joel and Ethan Coen. Since 1984's Blood Simple, the inscrutable brothers have effortlessly forged their own cinematic path, avoiding prevailing trends while crafting bold, stylish and witty movies that feel fresh and distinctive despite being deeply rooted in their creators' filmic passion and knowledge.


This is a definitive guide to that path, bringing the reader through Joel and Ethan's 20 features (not counting the mezzanine) and exploring the
themes, the tropes, the gags, the familiar faces - while also taking in all the Coen curios that litter this quirkily winding byway.


From Texas to Minnesota, from Homer to Shakespeare, from Bluegrass to Busby Berkeley, from wrestling to bowling, from lost hats to severed toes, this book covers everything that one might reasonably consider (to use a word that would likely make Joel and Ethan wince) 'Coenesque'... And then some.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolin's 'The Coen Brothers' deep dives into the lives of the filmmaking duo as creatives and their extensive filmography. Each film has a sensory introduction into the textures and language of the new project. There's time period influences delved into and the context of both the industry and their careers at each given point. This approach really drives home the idea of their trajectory being such a slow, evolutionary build. I am a massive Coen Brothers fan and, even as someone who knows an abnormally large amount about their careers, this book impressed me. My favorite sections were, predictably, for my two favorite Coen Brothers films: The Big Lebowski and Inside Llewyn Davis. The one thing about the Coen Brothers that's predictable is that they're always going to be wildly unpredictable, and Jolin does a great job showcasing the through line with all of their projects. I do wish that the book's formatting was a bit more visually enticing, but, other than that, the content itself was consistently a pleasure to read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this upcoming book***
This is now the second book about directors that I have had the pleasure to read (Tarantino being the other) and this one is another winner. The author takes you from the brothers' upbringing in Minnesota and gives you detailed accounts on their 18 feature films and all other side projects that they have worked on. The book is well written and has lots of great information that I haven't seen elsewhere. This is a must read for all movie fans, especially those of the Coen Brothers. Give it a read!

[Kay Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a great movie buff, but I was captivated by the dissection of a number of the Coens' films, some of which I have watched without realising that they are part of the portfolio. The author Dan Jolin is a film journalist and has written intellectually about a selected list of the Coens' films, including where they are connected by actors, characters, or historical references. If you are a fan, you will love this book; if, like me, you're just a movie-goer, there's still much to be taken from these pages.

[Cassia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who's kept up with the Coens' careers and films nothing really new, but it's a solid overview/intro that I'd be plenty glad to recommend folks wanting to learn a bit more, including their work beyond directing on scripts, books, etc. Nice in that it's a newer publication, so addresses their solo works.
(I had my disagreements on some evaluations in the Llewyn Davis chapter, tho!)

[Greg Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and educational. I’ve long been a fan of the Coen brothers’ movies, especially O Brother, Raising Arizona and Fargo. It was good to do a little deeper dive on them and their movies.