Culture
Don’t See ‘Honey Don’t’: When it comes to Ethan Coen’s new movie, the title says it all
By: Gordon Briggs
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All the elements of an entertaining crime flick are here.
You’ve got a talented cast that have all been good in other movies, an award-winning director, and plenty of bad guys, double crosses, and gratuitous sex.
So, why does Honey Don’t fail to catch fire?
The word that comes to mind is “disorganized.” This movie has a lot of plot, but very little story.
Things kick off with a mysterious death. Here we follow intrepid small-town detective Honey O’ Donahue as she investigates a strange series of deaths that are each tied to a mysterious church. Like any good detective yarn, the case will lead her to a series of colorfully crooked lowlifes and con men, each trying to stop her from getting to the truth.
Unfortunately, the movie never established why this detective should care about the outcome of this particular case, or why the audience should either.
Honey Don’t is the second feature from husband-and-wife filmmakers Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, whose previous film, Drive-Away Dolls, was a lightweight but fun caper with a gay twist. That film was anchored by the touching relationship between its two leads. What becomes frustrating about Honey Don’t is that it lacks a central organizing relationship or theme. As a result, much of the sex and violence feels disorganized and disconnected from the scenes that came before.
In all honesty, a funny comedy doesn’t necessarily have to make sense to me for it to make me laugh. However, the cast of this movie feels more cartoonish and exaggerated than interesting. Watching Honey, Don’t, I couldn’t help but think of the offbeat crime films Ethan Coen used to make with his brother Joel. In those films like Fargo or Raising Arizona, the characters were always human first and funny second.
In this film, many of the actors feel like exaggerated caricatures rather than funny people with any interiority. For example, Chris Evans’ philandering, perverted priest could have been an interesting villain, but the movie thinks simply showing him in various kinky sexual situations makes for a compelling character. It doesn’t.
In the end, it’s a mediocre movie.
Rating: ★★