The TV Addict 

Now that the Coen Brothers have remerged into the spotlight with the help of No Country for Old Men, erasing everyone’s memory of some of their more recent films (Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers), they seem to be lining up projects to keep them busy and riding their new wave of adulation. One of those projects will now be the adaptation of the critically well-received novel The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, by Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Michael Chabon.

I’ll admit that I’m slightly torn about this news. On the one hand, I’m excited about the idea that the Coen Brothers are adapting a book from the author who wrote one of my favorite novels, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and whose earlier novel spawned one of my favorite films, Wonder Boys. 

On the other hand, the book quirky, humorous amalgam of noir-homage, murder mystery, and alternate history, which admittedly, sounds like something right up the Coen Brother’s alley. But you see, the reason I liked No Country so much was in a rare instance, they did a movie straight up serious, with very few moments of humor in it. Don’t get me wrong, the Brother’s have a great sense of absurdity, and I have enjoyed some of their more witty outings, but Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, No Country for Old Men, and Barton Fink (which, admittedly has a lot of humor in it, but it’s pretty dark, and it’s about Hollywood, so how could it not?) are the films of their that count as my favorites. I guess I’d like to see Ethan and Joel stick to films with the tone of No Country for a while longer. Regardless, you can rest assured I’ll still be checking out whatever they have in store for us next. Even Yiddish Policemen.

What about you, fair readers? Which incarnation of the Coen Brothers do you prefer? Funny and quirky or dark and serious?  Or a little of both?

Source: Variety