Rating: 
Summary: "What if you tire before it's done?"
Review: Well, you won't. Not if you are watching the HUDSUCKER PROXY, one of the Coen Brothers best films right along with RAISING ARIZONA, BLOOD SIMPLE and FARGO. It was also their largest budgeted film and so carries amazing production values above and beyond their previous films.The story follows young, idealist Norville Barnes, fresh from a Muncie, Indiana Business School. Now, he is in the Big Apple where he plans to knock the corporate world on its Mussburger. But, when a corporation seeks out a [person]to lower the stock price, Norville is given the fast track to the 44th floor (Not counting the mezzanine). Enter the dame. Amy Archer is on to the scheme and begins to expose Norville as a [fake] until she realizes she had it wrong... Tim Robbins is great as the innocent Barnes and Paul Newman makes for a fun villain but it is Jennifer Jason Leigh's fast talking newspaper dame, Amy Archer that carries the film over the top, or she'll bet her Pulitzer on it. Leigh morphs Katherine Hepburn with Rosalind Russell into her role, and would fit right into THE FRONT PAGE, HIS GIRL FRIDAY or any other early 'hat' film. The film is filled with several quirky scenes that force belly laughter: A cop and a taxi driver offering commentary to a couple's first meeting, A young boy's mastering of the Hula Hoop, The creation and Marketing of the same hoop ("the Wacky Circumference", "The Daddy-O"), and especially Norville's performance of his Alma-Mater. The HUD is definitely not the Coen Brothers biggest hit... This may be the brothers most creative film.
Rating:
Summary: You know . . . for movie lovers!
Review: Massively undervalued thematic sequel to *Barton Fink*. I say that because *The Hudsucker Proxy* (a bad title that guaranteed box-office oblivion, btw) treads a lot of the same water as the earlier film: hucksterism, commericalism, the notion that one person can singlehandedly come up with One Great Idea -- in short, the American Dream. This time, it's the world of business instead of Hollywood, but the corporate fatcats at Hudsucker Industries are relevant enough "proxies" for movie-studio fatcats; i.e., the point is well-taken. Indeed, the movie is -- as most Coen Brothers movies are -- about movies themselves, and you're not giving the Coens enough credit if you think *The Hudsucker Proxy* is merely a send-up of some Frank Capra movie. It's a send-up of the entire film industry, which is pretty cheeky, considering that this was their first "big-budget, major-studio" production. If you must have it: the plot concerns a doe-eyed graduate of Muncie Business College who winds up in the basement mailroom at Hudsucker Industries in New Yawk City. The President of the company has just taken a swan-dive from the 45th floor (not counting the mezzanine). Meanwhile, the fatcats on the Board of Directors, of which Paul Newman is the cattiest, come up with the brilliant idea of promoting a moron to the President's chair in order to devalue Hudsucker stock -- that way, they can buy up the remaining shares of the company, after which the moron can be comfortably dispensed with. But Tim Robbins, the putative moron, has one killer idea up his sleeve that throws a monkeywrench in the gears. But don't take all this too seriously. The fun's in the details . . . and, let's face it, you probably have to be in on the joke to really appreciate what the Coens are doing here. Meaning? They assume you have a knowledge of old-movie conventions, and that you appreciate the homage this movie pays to them. Basically, they insist that you bring something to the party. They insist you get off your Lazy-Boy and meet them halfway. Oh, by the way: the movie's hilarious, too.
Rating:
Summary: Say buddy...!
Review: Fantastic!!! Brilliant script, brilliant performances, brilliant direction, brilliant score, brilliant production design!!! Did I mention how brilliant it is? My favorite Coen Bros. film. When are we going to get a proper DVD release of this film?
Rating:
Summary: A BLUE LETTER!!!!
Review: I am a new Cohen brother fanatic! I have owned "Raising Arizona" since it's relesed and have now recently ventured into the "Cohen state of mind". These are movies that captivate and are eye and mind candy. The only Cohen movie so far that left me confused was "Barton Fink". Still, an interesting movie. You need to watch that one more than that once.
"The Hudsucker Proxy" is fantastic! The film flows like a delicious latte'. This is a very unique manner of filmaking, If you are into movies that are a thrill ride. Gotta see this one!
I also recommend highly "Raising Arizona" and "The Big Lebowski" If you like deep movies with lot's of twists, go with a Cohen Brothers film!
Rating:
Summary: Coen brothers' best--yes, you read that correctly
Review: The Coen brothers' warmest, smartest comedy--and I'm a huge fan of all their work (don't get me started on Miller's Crossing). Obviously, anyone who's seen and liked a Coen brothers film will like this, but if you're a Frank Capra fan you'll also like it. After despondent C.E.O. Werring Hudsucker (Charles Durning) throws himself off the 44th floor, the conniving V.P., Sidney J. Mussberger (Paul Newman at his shrewd best) and the rest of the Board have to move fast to steal the stock before it goes public. So they decide to crash the stock by promoting new mailmroom clerk and schmuck Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins, in yet another great performance) to President. Unfortunately for the Board, Barnes has a few tricks up his sleeve. Unfortunately for Barnes, Jennifer Jason Leigh's fast-talking reporter is hot on his trail' Dazzling cinematography from Roger Deakins, wonderful production design emulating the 50s and the 30s, and a rich, textured score by Carter Burwell and well-done special effects (in a Coen bros. movie??) all contribute to make this a wonderful, thoroughly entertaining film. Think of Preston Sturges directing a Horatio Alger story crossed with Terry Gilliam and you'll have an inkling of how good this film is. Should have won Oscars in 1994 (along with Red & Quiz Show, and Pulp Fiction) instead of Gump, but them's the breaks. This film really needs to be in widescreen, so watch the DVD and not the pan-and-scan VHS.
Rating:
Summary: Love those Coen brothers
Review: Modern fables are not the stuff that make Hollywood movie studio executives see dollar signs. As we can surmise from their dearth in the market, few good ones make it past the initial pitch. So all of us should be surprised when one does filter past the naysayers and make it to the silver screen. "The Hudsucker Proxy" is a beautiful fable crafted by those two Hollywood nose-thumbers, Joel and Ethan Coen ("Raising Arizona", "Fargo", "The Big Lebowski"), my picks for best filmmakers of the last fifteen years. In "Hudsucker" they give us a magical world that hovers in time between 1930 and 1960 and fills it with Art Deco scenery, hard-bitten reporters, greedy tycoons, innocent rubes, and your favorite Whammo fads. Our fable begins with the whimsical suicide of Hudsucker Industries' CEO (the always entertaining Charles Durning) and the elevation of a naive mailboy with big dreams, Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), to his position. As scripted by the cigar-smoking corporate spinmeister, Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), Hudsucker will be thrashed by the press for its brazen stupidity, the stock will dive, the board will buy up huge amounts of it, then Mussburger will steer the company back, making everyone rich. But Norville has a better idea. So does star reporter, Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh doing her best Hepburn/Russell), who like her no-holds-barred sibling in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" wants to get the inside scoop on the new boy in town. Determined to get the best of the hick, she sidles up to him via her new "job" as his secretary, only to find his earnestness and honesty a glaring contrast to her own shriveled morality. Soon, unbeknownst to him, he wins her heart. Soon, too, his new idea for a product sweeps the nation in a fad never before seen, jacking Hudsucker's stock far out of the picture for the now angry board. Determined to stop the record profits, Mussburger engineers a fall for Norville that will surely lead to him taking the permanent plunge, just as the company's namesake did. But this is a true fable, so the supernatural element enters the picture in a delightfully satisfying way. The holiday theme near the end of the picture adds to the magic, making the picture a warm way to prepare for the season. Some have accused "The Hudsucker Proxy" of being all gloss and no substance, a Frank Capra or Preston Sturges film that is easy on the eye yet lifeless, but I disagree strongly. The massive set design and powerful architecture in the film only serve to highlight the concept of mankind at odds with its own surroundings, good people out of place in a world that is too big for any of them. And that is the point of good fables, that what is real are the people and their courageous, honest, sincere lives, not the settings in which they act out their morality plays. So forget the horrid title and buy "The Hudsucker Proxy". And for those that are fans of great production and set design, folks, this is how it is done. Fans of fables will not be left unsatisfied, either. Rated "PG" for some adult themes (like suicide and other forms of personal destruction) and a tiny bit of talk, this film can be enjoyed by anyone from young teens up. (This review covers the VHS version.)
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Coens greatest, but.............
Review: This is a great movie from the Coen brothers. It is not a violent or gory as some of their other films, but there are certainly some very devious characters. The movie includes a heavily character driven story, it is very well paced and fun all the way through. The visual style is brilliant, showcasing the Coen brother's ability to make film footage of ordinary settings seem surreal and slightly comic bookish, and they keep it up consistently for the length of a movie. This inevitably aids their storytelling by making the movie's world distinct and vivid as a setting for the characters who are equally ordinary yet unmistakeably unusual.
Rating:
Summary: A great less-popular Coen brothers film
Review: The Movie: It's boffo, fab, the real deal and a steal at that. Norville Barnes (Robbins) plays a rube sucker (?) new to business in the big city who finds a job in the basement mailroom of Hudsucker Industries, Inc just as Waring Hudsucker, founder & CEO takes a swan-dive from the 44th floor (not counting the mezannine). In need of a dupe-CEO to depress the stock so they can suck up the Hud's shares, Executive Sid Mussberger (Newman) and the board install the Rube as CEO. But he's got a plan. You know, for kids! Amy Archer (Leigh) is the hard-nosed investigative reporter lookin' for a scoop. The movie itself rolls along really well. You have to stay on your toes to catch some of the best rapid-fire dialogue since The Big Sleep. Leigh, whom I usually despise, is excellent. All the stars really play the hell out of their roles. The Coens' writing and direction is top-drawer. All this and it's clean enough to watch with the kids! The DVD: There is really nothing but the movie here - no cast filmography, nocommentary, nada, except french dubbing if you want that. This is an older-style 2-sided DVD with standard on one side and widescreen on the other, which I find annoying. Despite other complaints I didn't see any profound problems with the transfer, but then again I'm just a film-lover, not a home theater freak. If you love this movie it's a good addition.
Rating:
Summary: a thingamajig that would bring everyone together
Review: A film by the Coen Brothers "The Hudsucker Proxy" is the fantastic story of Noville Barnes (Tim Robbins). Norville is just some poor shmoe looking for work, but he isn't qualified for anything and he has no work experience. He takes a job as a mailroom clerk at Hudsucker Industries. We're not sure what they do or what they make, but at a board meeting, we find out the company is posting record profits. When a man is done with his litany of the company's successes, the chairman, Mr Hudsucker himself, stands up on the long table, starts running, and commits suicide by jumping out the window and falling to his death. What to do? The rest of the board needs to be able to purchase a controlling interest in Hudsucker stock, but the stock price is too high. The formulate a plan to temporarily drive down the stock prices by hiring as president of the company someone so incompetent that shareholders will be so scared that stock prices will plummet. The dimwit president: Norville Barnes. It is Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) who is pulling the strings behind the scenes to make all this happen; it is his master plan that sets all this in motion. Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is the fast talking reporter who goes undercover to investigate Norville and find out why Hudsucker would have hired him as the president. "The Hudsucker Proxy" is funny in a smart, clever way, and is highly entertaining. The Coen Brothers do not make ordinary or conventional movies ("Intolerable Cruelty" aside), but they definitely make some of the top movies of any given year. -Joe Sherry
Rating:
Summary: A BLUE LETTER!!!!
Review: I am a new Cohen brother fanatic! I have owned "Raising Arizona" since it's relesed and have now recently ventured into the "Cohen state of mind". These are movies that captivate and are eye and mind candy. The only Cohen movie so far that left me confused was "Barton Fink". Still, an interesting movie. You need to watch that one more than that once.
"The Hudsucker Proxy" is fantastic! The film flows like a delicious latte'. This is a very unique manner of filmaking, If you are into movies that are a thrill ride. Gotta see this one!
I also recommend highly "Raising Arizona" and "The Big Lebowski" If you like deep movies with lot's of twists, go with a Cohen Brothers film!
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