X
- 1994
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
- 1994
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
Summary A satirical comedy about the world of big business and corporate greed. An ambitious but naive young man rapidly moves up the corporate ladder from the mailroom to the executive suite, unaware that he is part of the board of directors' nefarious scheme. (Warner Bros.)
Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Written By: Sam Raimi, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- 1994
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
- 1994
- PG
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 51 m
The Hudsucker Proxy
53
7.1
Where to Watch
Summary A satirical comedy about the world of big business and corporate greed. An ambitious but naive young man rapidly moves up the corporate ladder from the mailroom to the executive suite, unaware that he is part of the board of directors' nefarious scheme. (Warner Bros.)
Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Written By: Sam Raimi, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
53
42% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
42% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
16% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
53
42% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
42% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
16% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
In The Hudsucker Proxy, the filmmaking Coen brothers make dark, startling, wittily extravagant sport of the American Dream. The movie is opulent and wry, a bitingly intelligent fable about business and romance. [25 Mar 1994, p.A]
The Hudsucker Proxy is the Coens' fifth feature in a decade, and you can see their tremendous artistic growth in every frame of the film. Classically composed, beautifully shot by Roger Deakins ("Barton Fink") and co-produced by legendary action-flick producer Joel Silver, Hudsucker has technique and visual invention to spare. [11 Mar 1994, p.C3]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 73 User Ratings
7.1
64% Positive
47 Ratings
47 Ratings
29% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
7% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 73 User Ratings
7.1
64% Positive
47 Ratings
47 Ratings
29% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
7% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
The movie has quite a comic book and moralistic feel to it, being set in a city in the late 1950s, whereby the characters are quite over the top in an exaggerated way, with the loud mouthed executives/bosses and a scheming woman who isn't what she makes herself out to be.
Its a very American movie, with the start of the movie giving a glimpse of the end and with narration by Bill Cobbs (who also plays the character of Moses), with a thick southern accent. The musical score adds some effect at points too with an enthusiastic orchestra adding crescendos at points and giving it more of a 1950s 'hustle and bustle' feel to it.
It does seem to be a movie with some morals behind it and its interesting to see the way Norville changes as a person after being made president of the company. I guess you could say the movie is all about judging the characters your introduced to and about how that could lead to you changing too.
It does have a 'fantastical' feel to it, with it seeming almost like its set in Gotham city, as a dark, money centric city with its fair share of villainous type characters. The ending has an interesting twist, it is a little 'Its a Wonderful Life'-esque I believe but its not too mushy, I found it quite clever actually, the orchestral score again adding to the atmosphere then.
Tim Robbins does well playing the main character as a seemingly eager, enthusiastic and naive graduate looking to work his way up the career ladder in business and the other characters are equally well acted. All in all, I thought this was a well made movie that could perhaps be seen as a bit over the top perhaps but its obviously meant to be, to get its point across I think and I certainly enjoyed it, so yes I would recommend it.
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There are a few specific reasons why God graced the earth with the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi. This is one of them. See this movie and your life will be better for it. (Side note: There is clearly an error somewhere in Metacritic's professional critic calculation algorithm as it only has this at a 53 for some reason.) >>>> My full cinema profile here: ****/MyMovies
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Frigid soul or not, it's the most unforgettable supernatural comedy since Brazil. Could be it's time for the Coens to drop the pretense, and embrace sci-fi head on. [11 Mar 1994, p.4D]
The movie seems destined to win a place in the nocturnal-cityscape-hell hall of fame. Its externals are brilliant, but The Hudsucker Proxy is virtually nothing but externals. [25 Mar 1994, p.52]
At its best it's a free-form fantasy with glitzy, well-executed effects and assorted metaphysical conceits but little feeling for any of the characters apart from derision (with a few touches of racism here and there).
The Hudsucker Proxy is no doubt one of the most inspired and technically stunning pastiches of old Hollywood pictures ever to come out of the New Hollywood. But a pastiche it remains, as nearly everything in the Coen brothers' latest and biggest film seems like a wizardly but artificial synthesis, leaving a hole in the middle where some emotion and humanity should be.
Don't bother to see this film unless you expect to be tested in film class about the Coens' serial dissertation on American cinema. [10 Mar 1994, p.A16]
Simply one of the greatest movies ever made, with an outrageous and uproarious performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh. A homage to the great screwball comedies of the past, but strained through '90's irony. Great dialogue, incredible design and a wonderful score. If you're under 40, you probably won't get it, but if you just use your imagination the way the Coens used theirs, you'll love "Proxy."
And **** Future is Now.
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OK All Napoleon Dynamite fans depart... this is NOT a film for you. This film has the most unique, artistic and wonderful cinematography of any movie I have seen. For those of you who don't know the "HULA HOOP" is an actual toy that children played with beginning in the late 50's. This film is a delightful romp pretending to document the invention of the hoop. ENJOY! the brothers made a fine film AGAIN!
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The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.
What I Personally Liked About "The **** Proxy":
I would be remiss if I were not to point out right off the bat that the dialogue in this film is superlative. The Coen Brothers have long been known for their sharp tongues and witty turning of phrases and they hit a home run with this production. The precision and the pacing they so easily pull out of the throats of their thespians is astonishing and adds vibrant depth to the already gilded screenplay. Another highlight is the attention paid to the tiniest of comedic details. For example, Waring **** cleaning one lens of his glasses on his long voyage down to the sidewalk or Norville Barnes turning a drawing of a circle around because he felt it was upside down. This film is so fully packed it feels like it's bursting at the seams with hilarity. This film also made a Jennifer Jason Leigh fan out of me. I hadn't been all that familiar with her work the first time I saw "****"; now I cannot seem to get enough. In this motion picture, it doesn't feel like she becomes the character of Amy Archer, it feels like she allows the character to become HER. It's like she lifted the words directly off the page, opened herself up and filled her body with each and every richly nuanced component. Jim True also gives a magnificent performance as the elevator operator Buzz; so much so, in fact, that he outshines leading man Tim Robbins in many of the scenes they share.
What I Personally Disliked About "The **** Proxy":
A small nitpick I had when the movie was first released is the fact that the secret behind Norville's idea of the circle being a hula hoop was revealed in the promotional material. A lot of people have voiced that opinion over the years and for very good reason. Still, the secret would have gotten out eventually. I just would have preferred to go into the film blind and allow the surprise to have more impact. Another small quibble, which has nothing to do with what is actually shown on screen, is the fact that this is perhaps the most underrated of all the films the Coens have unleashed upon the cinematic community. It definitely deserves better than to be collecting dust in the backs of the minds of most cinephiles. A final criticism is that Bruce Campbell feels underutilized in the role of Smitty. Here we have a talent whose style matches the period of this film perfectly and who seems like he was tailor made to work for the Coen Brothers. Yet they almost downplay his role in the newsroom and don't let him liberate the full force of his jocular prowess.
My Overall Impression of "The **** Proxy":
The spirited momentum behind this movie never lets up and never feels like it is being spread too thin. The Coens show they have grown more comfortable with their writing and directing skills. The cast is splendid all the way from the top of the board room (Paul Newman) to the bottom of the beatnik juice and coffee bar (Steve Buscemi); even the sets are unerringly designed. Everything gels together like silky cream being poured over smooth caramel. When people used to say "They don't make 'em like they used to," they obviously didn't have the opportunity to see this one!
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"The **** Proxy" may be several orders of magnitude below the Coen Brothers' best efforts, but it's nowhere near deserving of the thrashing the fates gave it back in 1994. This, at the very least, is a brilliantly executed work, featuring amazing production design, terrific cinematography and a winsome commitment towards that fast-talking, razor sharp dialogue of old Hollywood. It's just that this really isn't anything all that new. Any fan of Capra or Sturges will know exactly where this movie's going, exactly what secrets it's hiding and exactly how everything will wrap up. And, aside from the appearance of some admittedly ballsy stylistic flourishes in the third act, you'll quickly realize how right you are. Still, as tried and true as the thematics and narrativity remain, it's undeniably gorgeous to look at.
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Awards
London Critics Circle Film Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
20/20 Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
