Raising Arizona **** (1987, Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson) – Classic Movie Review 1767

Hooray for the Coen Brothers’ second movie, providing a dazzling follow-up to their stunning film noir debut with Blood Simple in 1984. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter star as a petty crook H.I. McDonnough (‘Hi’) and his policewoman wife Edwina in this brilliantly stylish and hilariously wacky 1987 lunatic comedy. 

Cage relishes one of his iconic roles as a befuddled convenience store robber who falls in love with Hunter’s Ed while she’s taking his mug shots, only to marry and discover Hunter is unable to conceive a child. So naturally they soon hatch up a plot to kidnap just one quintuplet out of a fivesome belonging furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), but somehow end up with the whole lot.

It’s a uniquely exhilarating movie, thanks to Ethan and Joel Coen’s funny, witty, freewheeling screenplay, the sophisticated screwball performing, some breathlessly fast-paced chases and visual pyrotechnics courtesy cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld. All of these delicious ingredients are packaged with breathtaking energy and dynamism by the Coens, reflecting the energy oftheir actors.

Deliciously oddball, and very smart indeed, Raising Arizona is quite an eye-opener. John Goodman and William Forsythe are outstanding as a couple of car stealing, bank robbing brothers called Gale and Evelle Snoats.  Sam McMurray, Frances McDormand, M Emmet Walsh and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb co-star.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1767

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