The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (The Coen Brothers)

[Kane52630]

Nihilism? in a Coen Brothers movie? nahhhhh....

 

[Deck Rickard]

I feel like Meal Ticket might have been a momentum killer for you. All Gold Canyon and The Gal Who Got Rattled really are the best two in my opinion, but Meal Ticket did kind of put me in a foul mood (and the last one is even worse).

I agree with others that the cheapness of human life, the cruelty of humans, the nihilism... that's sort of the point here, but the way each episode kind of builds to a sort of cruel punchline is a bit repetitive and much--it really works in the case The Gal Who Got Rattled, though, because it connects with the story's other themes and then All Gold Canyon is a refreshing change of tone from the rest.

The Mortal Remains was also kind of insufferable. I know some people who actually like Meal Ticket for its commentary on commerce and art but I think most agree that the last one is a bit of a failed experiment.

Yeah, The Girl Got Rattled was pretty solid. Depressing for sure but well put together and it comes to a satisfying conclusion (albeit a really sad one, though at least the dog survived). I think Meal Ticket, All Gold Canyon and The Mortal Remains just ruined it for me. The first two were just boring as hell, and Meal Ticket was predictable. About 5 minutes in, you can tell where it’s going. And AGC was just a half hour of Tom Waits digging holes and baring his disgusting teeth before an out-of-the-blue fight scene. Yeah, it’s beautifully filmed but that’s about all I can say for it. And The Mortal Remains has promise but it went nowhere.

Spoiler

I thought maybe we were going to find out that the bounty hunters were about to kill the other passengers, but nope. Yeah, that would have been predictable but at least it would have been something. Instead, we just got... nothing.

 

[MadderMaximus]

I actually liked Meal Ticket. I liked how dark that one was, with minimal dialogue. The Mortal Remains was the one where I was hoping for more but then there was no "punchline". The dialogue just felt like padding, and I just started to want the Trapper to say "are you telling me Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?" or "up your butt, Jobu" to spice it up.

The Gal Who Got Rattled is probably my favorite. Days after watching, it's still the one story I think about. Reminds me of the depressing ending to The Mist as well.

 

[Greens]

I really liked this overall. The last story was probably my least favorite.

 

[MurkeNyou]

This is one of those film projects most people will not get. I figured out halfway into the second episode it was an anthology deal, short and snappy tales of the old west. Cartoonish violence and everything. I liked it, some stories were a bit dry, but that's the point. Campfire tales.

 

[scarlet-witch]

I thought this had momentum until the story where the man is digging for gold. That absolutely killed it for me. Decent film over all, just a bit weird and very uneven.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I actually liked Meal Ticket. I liked how dark that one was, with minimal dialogue. The Mortal Remains was the one where I was hoping for more but then there was no "punchline". The dialogue just felt like padding, and I just started to want the Trapper to say "are you telling me Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?" or "up your butt, Jobu" to spice it up.

The Gal Who Got Rattled is probably my favorite. Days after watching, it's still the one story I think about. Reminds me of the depressing ending to The Mist as well.

LOL, I would have never put that together that he was the guy from Major League. Wow.

 

[Kane52630]

I thought this had momentum until the story where the man is digging for gold. That absolutely killed it for me. Decent film over all, just a bit weird and very uneven.

You're gonna upset Mr. Pocket.

 

[Guts]

Yeah, The Girl Got Rattled was pretty solid. Depressing for sure but well put together and it comes to a satisfying conclusion (albeit a really sad one, though at least the dog survived). I think Meal Ticket, All Gold Canyon and The Mortal Remains just ruined it for me. The first two were just boring as hell, and Meal Ticket was predictable. About 5 minutes in, you can tell where it’s going. And AGC was just a half hour of Tom Waits digging holes and baring his disgusting teeth before an out-of-the-blue fight scene. Yeah, it’s beautifully filmed but that’s about all I can say for it. And The Mortal Remains has promise but it went nowhere.

Spoiler

I thought maybe we were going to find out that the bounty hunters were about to kill the other passengers, but nope. Yeah, that would have been predictable but at least it would have been something. Instead, we just got... nothing.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Except the people in The Mortal Remains were all dead. The carriage ride was their trip to the afterlife. The two bounty hunters reference being reapers, they said the carriage driver never stops during the trip, and when they get the hotel nobody checks in at the front desk. Instead they all walk up the stairs that are brightly light contrasting the darkness of the rest of the setting.