“Drive-Away Dolls” opens in a skeevy dive, the camera ominously pushing down the aisle between the bar and booths. Santos (Pedro Pascal) – paranoid, sweaty and clutching at a briefcase – peers around the corner, waiting. He’s supposed to meet someone, and they’re running late.
Spooked by a creepy encounter with a waiter, Santos hastily leaves the bar. Unfortunately for him, creepy waiter has other plans in mind. He corners Santos in an alleyway, smoke and shadows filling the screen while the camera sits at an uneasy tilt on both men. The waiter grabs the trash can lid Santos is using as a shield, prompting two dramatic gasps from the man before he’s unceremoniously stabbed in the neck with a corkscrew.
This opening promises everything that “Drive-Away Dolls” has in store – a delightful mix of noir and Looney Tunes absurdity. Directed by Ethan Coen (absent his brother Joel), the film brims with style at every turn – some of that style is classic Coens, some of it a little new. “Drive-Away Dolls,” from its composition to its content, is all about finding the ways new and old intersect and clash, delivering a good, old-fashioned road trip movie with twists and turns along the way.
Santos (God rest his soul) is only where our story begins. Fresh off a break-up with her girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein), Jamie (Margaret Qualley) is looking for a fresh start. She recruits her more prudish friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) for a spontaneous road trip to Tallahassee, making plans for plenty of lesbian bars and debauchery along the way. But the duo become entwined in a bumbling criminal conspiracy when they find Santos’ briefcase in the trunk of their rental car.
“Drive-Away Dolls” has a madcap sort of flair, particularly when it comes to editing and acting. Qualley gives the broader of the two lead performances, a swaggering, Texas flirt who’s ready to make out with anyone at the drop of a hat. Her Texas accent…
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