I love the Coen brothers' films. All of them have a higher level of comedic film-making which is unsurpassed by any other director/screenwriter today. The Hudsucker Proxy is the pinnacle of their comedy achievements. It presents us with a exaggerated view of the 1950's business world and media. With the fast talking characters by John Mahoney and Jennifer Jason Leigh, we cannot help but laugh out loud at how stereotypical they seem to be. Let us also admire Tim Robbins, in probably his best performance to date, as the idealistic (and dimwitted) mail room boy who becomes the unlikely president of the company on his first day. And of course, who can forget the brilliant villainy brought to the screen by our favorite Paul Newman. With beautiful set direction, out of this world designs (like Robbins' fresh idea, you know, for kids), this film deserves more praise than it has been given. If you are just getting into the Coen brothers' collection, this is easily one of the top three which is a must see (the other two being Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Let's also note that J.K. Simmons' portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man (2001) was clearly inspired by John Mahoney portrayal of the editor in chief in this movie (Sam Raimi, who directed Spider-Man, co-wrote this film with the Coens).
Review of The Hudsucker Proxy
