Director's Series: The Coen Bros.' RAISING ARIZONA

(Month 2 of an 18 month retrospective of the films Directed and Written by the Coen Bros.).

After the success of their debut film, BLOOD SIMPLE, in 1984, the Coen Brothers wanted to do something completely different with their 2nd film.

And with the off-beat comedy, RAISING ARIZONA, they certainly succeeded.

Starring 2 young and up-and-coming performers in Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter (2 future Oscar winners), Raising Arizona tells the screwball comedy tale of a mis-matched couple (one an ex-con, the other an ex-cop) who cannot have children, so they conspire to help themselves to one of 5 newborn quintuplets.

Hilarity ensues.

And it…seriously…does.

Comedy is not the Coen Bros. strength and one would argue that their comedic skills peaked with this one. It is a delightful, off-beat comedy filled with quirky characters, outrageous situations and slapstick-style humor that holds up to this day.

Of course, it helps that they cast Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter as the 2 leads as this pair are a force to watch on screen, making the zany items seem grounded and the grounded items seen zany. it is an inspired pairing and the Coens’ wrote these 2 parts with these 2 performers in mind and it shows.

A then unknown actor by the name of John Goodman makes his mark on this film - and the movie industry - as a hapless escaped convict and Blood Simple veterans M. Emmet Walsh and Frances McDormand show up, briefly, in small cameos while boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb and (especially) veteran character actor Sam McMurray bring the weird and the fun.

The Coens, once again, benefit from Barry Sonnenfeld’s inventive Cinematography and they use it to great advantage to show the down-on-their-luck avante garde world they have created.

It is a strong 2nd film from the duo and, arguably, their best comedy with quick cuts and fast action that will keep the audience laughing throughout.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)