'Drive-Away Dolls' Review: Ethan Coen Waves Ally Flag With a Fun Lesbian Caper Worth Strapping Into
Since the Coen Brothers are currently in their solo eras, it's been fascinating to see Joel and Ethan's interests via their projects. Unlike Joel’s brief Shakespearean phase, where he worked with his wife, Frances McDormand, Ethan decided to wave his gay ally card by arranging a trilogy of lesbian-focused films – all in collaboration with his lesbian wife, Tricia Cooke. Yeah, Tricia said in an interview that she was a lesbian, so does that make them a lavender couple? Either way, the Coen solo acts are them in their wife-guy eras. Drive-Away Dolls is the first of the Coen/Cooke lesbian trilogy that has been cooking in their closet for decades.
R: Crude sexual content, full nudity, language, and some violent content
Runtime: 1 Hour and 24 Minutes
Production Companies: Working Title Films
Distributor: Focus Features
Director: Ethan Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon
Release Date: February 23, 2024
Exclusively in Theaters
In 1999, free-spirited Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and her timid best friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) are in similar ruts – Jamie is recovering from a breakup with her longtime cop ex-girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein), and Marian is too uptight and off-putting at her office day job. When Marian informs Jamie that she will visit her aunt in Tallahassee, Florida, Jamie decides to tag along. With a map, Jamie marks all the stops for a fun lesbian adventure across the American South, hoping Marian breaks from her years-long dry spell. That's until, through a mix-up unbeknownst to them at a drive-away service, the dolls find themselves in a plot regarding a mysterious case in the back of their trunk that hitmen – led by The Chief (Colman Domingo) – are searching for.
In a landscape where capers are mostly related to the fellas, Drive-Away Dolls give the gay girlies who either already had an appreciation for Coen-coded movies or were forced to watch one with a guy before coming out of the closet a ride that harkens back to the writers' early days. Aside from its tasteful not-in-your-face 1999 setting, Coen and Cooke travel back to their ‘90s roots by meditating on the comedic facets flicks like Fargo and Big Lebowski prospered from. Their script is full of personality-driven Coen-styled dry humor and wit mixed with a frivolous, raunchy edge. If you’re a massive Coen-head, it's easy to distinguish which bits Tricia wrote and which came from Ethan. All the scenes featuring The Chief's bumbling goons – sociable Arliss (Joey Slotnick) and short-tempered Flint (C. J. Wilson) – tracking down the leads in a subplot is classic Ethan material.
The formula for Marian and Jamie's excellent adventure follows the road trip comedy archetype. However, the husband/lesbian-wife duo interweaves as many culturally relevant rest stops that add authenticity to the culture. They throw in as many lesbian bars, dildos, women's soccer teams, and make-out parties as possible, mining many funny gags out of them.
This project was brewing for years, and there's no better match in these roles than Geraldine Viswanathan and Margaret Qualley. They are some of the funniest, most charismatic actresses in the game today, and their comedic and sincere chemistry is unmatched. If you know anything about me, you know I'm a sucker for the “sheepish neurodivergent meets the free-spirited optimist” comedic pairing – it's like my Virgo moon vs. Sagittarius rising personalities.
Qualley commits to a high-functioning, silly Texan accent that's like Miley Cyrus on speed, which is funny, considering Cyrus makes a psychedelic cameo. Qualley's rambunctious energy is infectious even when her character makes the wildest, most inconsiderate decisions, and most of her lines are simply variations of one sex joke. Yet, she represents that one sex-positive lesbian friend so well. I adore the fellowship she shares with Marian, whom she cares for, always calling her “honey babe.” It's so adorable.
Geraldine Viswanthan's introverted transformation as Marian grounds Qualley while she carries the film's emotional weight. Viswanathan is usually at her silliest in comedies, matching the absurdity of whatever project she stars in. Marian is a change of pace for her – mum, dry, and something of a demisexual. Due to Marian's background receiving additional attention, with her lesbian awakening origin story on display, she acts as the film's emotional core. It also helps that I watched Miracles Workers on the day of my screening, and I was wildly impressed by her range.
The supporting cast adds fuel to the white, orange, and pink fire with standout moments. The ever-so-funny Beanie Feldstein shines as Jamie's ex, Sukie, who has some of the film's most humorous gags. The same goes for Colman Domingo, who bridges his two typecasted roles (gay elder and intimidating force of nature) in a fun, scowling performance.
Drive-Away Dolls bears an 84-minute runtime, so you’d think it would be a breezy ride. It’s not. The story is full of numerous layers like an onion, switching its focus back and forth to different parties and flashbacks, strung together with ‘70s-styled (or Premiere Pro-like) transitions to the point of exhaustion. You have the dolls on their trip, the goons trying to find them, Marian's lesbian origins story, psychedelic transitions, etc. The “no thoughts, just vibes” flow of ‘70s exploitation flicks Cooke's editing style homages matches Coen's fashionable direction. Alas, the editing is a distracting chore that disrupts the pacing rather than aiding the atmosphere. Some of the convoluted stitching lends itself to pointless dead ends. Still, some of its intricate setups lend themselves to a hysterical MacGuffin reveal – possibly the best plot twist gag in recent memory. You just have to trudge through the mess to receive that well-earned happy ending.
Buoyed by stars Geraldine Viswanathan and Margaret Qualley and Coen-coded wit but with a lesbian coat of paint, Drive-Away Dolls is a silly, fun, raunchy caper worth strapping into.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 71%
