NEW REVIEWS!!! ........................................ The Butterfly Effect The Cooler Ella Enchanted Eternal Sunshine Hellboy Mean Girls 13 Going on 30 Used Cars The Whole Ten Yards

Of course I'm not going to write a scathing and angry review of a Coen brothers film. That would just be silly. I enjoyed this movie, like all of theirs, for the dialogue, the performances, the cinematography, and yada yada I love these guys. For all intents and purposes, I recommend this movie. Romantic comedy is new to them, and they still make a much more gratifying romantic comedy than you typically find. Nora Ephron has been doing this kind of stuff for years, and can't pull of something this clever and real, despite the fact that the premise for the relationship is far more unbelievable than her usual "guy and girl who are interested must overcome physical or emotional distance before predictably pairing in the end" shtick.

What I should probably talk about is where this movie strays from their previous works. For the first time, they took on somebody else's work, rewrote it, and then directed it. Oddly, I saw the name Matthew Stone, and assumed it couldn't be the same one of "South Park" fame. Some research backs this up. The odd thing is, one of the characters mentions working for Braniff Airways. While this is a real airline, it's also the one shown in the end logos for "South Park." If it is a coincidence, it's a doozy. Anyway, the Coens took on some other people's story, then allowed some other non-Ethan guy to co-produce. Not just anybody, but Brian Grazer. The guy who got money put into making "The Grinch," amongst other stuff. Some of the stuff he's backed was good, but he shall not be forgiven for "The Grinch," nor perpetuating the myth that Ron Howard directs his own movies. Shady dealings, I tell you.

These new elements in Coen Land are very noticeable. Often the script jumps around in ways that are jarring or too simplistic. There's a predictability that was eerie to see. There are heartstring moments that feel like Hollywood heartstring moments. These things, while done in a way that almost suggest parody, and definitely show knowledge of the conventions used, just sat weird with me. I hope they get back to original, self reliant stuff. Their next film is a remake, so I hope for after that.