Review: ‘Drive Away Dolls’: May the Best Coen Win

The film Drive Away Dolls seems like it should be great. It’s written and directed by Ethan Coen, a man known for his collaborative directing efforts with his brother Joel Coen on beloved films such as No Country for Old Men and Inside Llewyn Davis. The brothers have also collaborated on writing films like Fargo and The Big Lebowski. But after years of collaboration, the brothers decided to split and make films on their own. Drive Away Dolls is the first Ethan Coen film since that split. The film follows two lesbians, Jamie and Marian, as they take a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida. As they drive, they are unaware of the special cargo they accidentally ended up with and who is after it. Drive Away Dolls is your basic Coen crime comedy. Only it’s not as good.

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Review: The Latest Rendition of ‘The Color Purple’ Shines Bright

In The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule, audiences relive the tale of Celie as she navigates the numerous hardships in her life in this coming-of-age musical based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The expository novel was released to critical acclaim for its striking look into the hardships faced by women and African Americans in the early 20th century and won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 1983. Walker’s work was also controversial having been banned, challenged, and censored numerous times across the country for its mature themes and depictions of violence. Nevertheless, this novel has integrated itself into the bookshelves of many around the world and there was roaring anticipation for the release of this year’s version based not just on the novel itself, but on the showstopping Broadway musical.

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