Amazon.com Essentials:
The Coen brothers (Raising
Arizona, Fargo) have become the most consistently original
filmmakers in the land. In a salute/reworking of the fast-talking
comedies of the '40s, we follow Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) and his
amazing rise to the top. But he's only a puppet for the evil Sidney J.
Mussburger (Paul Newman), who wants the company for himself. The Coens'
design is the real star, and their first big-budget film will stimulate
movie fans. The story weakens in the middle, but you will find very few
films that move with this much imagination. As a Kate
Hepburn hybrid, Jennifer Jason Leigh is wonderful in an almost unplayable
role. The less
you know about the film, the better it plays, so just think of it as How to
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying mixed with Brazil and
every journalistic drama made
before 1960. Cowritten by Sam Raimi. --Doug Thomas
