Comedy with a cringe....

Rating: 8/10 (21 September 2008)

This is in my mind the perfect companion to "No country...." It is a bleak statement about the complete and utter lack of intellect in American society nicely wrapped as a comedy and so pretty subversive. Every character in the movie with few exceptions is self obsessed, only vaguely aware of others, and determined to get their share. People strive in vain with vain motives.
One thing I did not quite get was that stylistically the film was rooted in the 1980's early 90's most of the cars looked about 15 years old, the hairstyles, decor, the phones and clothing looked rather dated. The Russian embassy was a concrete slab and the Russian characters all wore ill fitting suits typical of that era.
The one somewhat decent and rational person in the movie who appears not to greedy motives meets an untimely end while trying to be helpful. The one "winner" in the events who essentially wins by accident due as much to the ineptitude of others as his/her own efforts seems so typically embody the stupidity of desire and how that can ruin others around them.
All in all an interesting morality tale that falls on the side of amorality and chaos. I always like Cohen brothers' films even when they are sub-par since they are generally better than most of the crap movie goers are offered.