Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers successful career as critics darlings started pretty inconspiciously with 'Blood Simple'. It's a very low budget, smudgy affair. It only hints at the road the Coens would continue to explore. It has funny moments but its overall mood is one of despair.

It was followed by a zany trip into comedy with 'Raising Arizona'. The Coens would never get this wacky again - in fact, Barry Sonnenfield, the cinematographer got closer to this unique brand of humour with his Addams Family Values. It holds up though and is more proof of Nicolas Cage's gift for the absurd, even more in evidence in Spike Jonze's 'Adapatation'.

'Miller's Crossing', their most stylish film was the first to have the hallmark Coen traits. The dialogue is wonderful. The plot is labyrinthine. The performances are on the verge of ham. But it works. The scene with Albert Finney and 'Danny Boy' is a cinematic gem.

'Barton Fink' was their most rewarded film and it deserves applause. John Turturro and Jon Goodman provide good chemistry and the film possibly is their most original work. It's almost Lynchian.

'The Hudsucker Proxy' is one of their most maligned films but it's fun. Especially for Frank Capra fans and fans of 1940s movies. Jennifer Jason Leigh is especially good value playing a 40s style chatterbox.

As they often do, the Coens followed up a miss with a hit. A critical one anyway. And one that brought them their first Oscar. For best screenplay. 'Fargo' is a genial kidnapping movie set in Minnesota. The Coens take advantage of the absurd accents of the area for full comic effect but they also manage to wrangle a few moments of truth out of the absurd situations. McDormand was wonderful and it's a pity William H Macy never got another opportunity with the Coens. He is exceptional as the nervy assailant.

'The Big Lebowski' perplexed critics upon its arrival. Critics were looking for something along the lines of Fargo and were met with a stoner detective comedy. It has since gained cult followings. Even a Lebowski festival. It is very funny. Very watchable. Bridges is perfect and Jon Goodman should have been considered for awards.

Their first collaboration with George Clooney was a success, and not only for its killer soundtrack. 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' was a gas treatment of Homer's Odyssey. It was a really funny ride helped immeasurably by Clooney's goofy performance.

The Man Who Wasn't There is their strangest movie. Wonderfully shot by Roger Deakins, it is a strange tale about a man without a personality. It's probably too sterile for my liking but it has moments.

Intolerable Cruelty was more of a miss than a hit. Clooney's goofy perf almost saved it. And Zeta Jones has never been so luminous. But the script was not 100% Coen and it was pretty clear which of the terrible jokes were not authored by them.

The Ladykillers remains their worst film. Hanks is suitably strange in it but the remake is shoddy.

Their reputation was salvaged and they won a couple of more Oscars with the savagely bleak 'No Country For Old Men'. It really is an excellent film. A terrible indictment of the modern man. Bardem won the Oscar but Tommy Lee Jones adds gravitas as the man coming to terms with the horrors of a world with such men in it.

Burn After Reading was a trifle after this. Pitt was the goofy one this time but the whole film was one practical joke too many.