The Brothers Grim examines the inner workings of the Coens' body of work, discussing a movie in terms of its primary themes, social and political contexts, narrative techniques, influences, relationship to their other films, and the Coens' referential modus operandi that retreads cinema, literature, history, philosophy, and art to amplify their films' themes.
Reviews
"...well written and engaging." -- ARBA, March 2008
Rowell (a journalist and film producer) titles each chapter examining a film from the prolific duo Joel and Ethan Coen (known as the Coen Brothers) after an object that figures so prominently in the movie that it is almost a character. In "Blood Simple: A Photo," "The Big Lebowski: A Bowling Ball" and the other essays, she offers a synopsis, review, and dissection of the themes, technique, influences, and stark social commentary of the often violent and satirical and always stylized Coen films. The writing-directing brothers also created Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty. (Annotation copyright © Book News Inc., Portland, OR) -- Book News, August 2007
Rowell's writing benefits from her obvious passion for the art of filmmaking; personal highlights include her discussion of love and a closeted fedora in Miller's Crossing (1990), the "fiction and fact pull" of Fargo (1996), and the subversion of war-speak in The Big Lebowski (1998). -- The Brooklyn Rail, November 2007
