Mar 31, 2019
Iâ(TM)ve mentioned before that Netflix has acquired a checkered history in regard to its original content. And Iâ(TM)ve noticed even within the last few months a gap has formed and widened. That chasm separates films and television of innovative and great material from utter dog shit. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs belongs to the former. Though often bizarre and odd, Scruggs is an anthology of western vignettes, each with its own themes and tones. And as youâ(TM)d expect from the Coen Brothers, almost all of them have a tragicomic edge. Furthermore, like the dime novel frontier tales it emulates, all the stories have a central moral theme. Personally, for me, I thought the second half (or latter 3) of the 6 tales were the best, yet all have some interesting factor going on. The first and titular story is an off-beat send up and homage to the singing cowboys of early to mid-20th century imagination, such as Roy Rogers. Tim Blake Nelson kills it, literally, and it serves as a parable for never underestimating your opponent. This opening bit may be jarring for some, with its mixing of horrific violence and outlandish humor, but it works and the other 5 tales are of a moreâ¦grounded nature. "Near Algodones" concerns bank robbery and hangings. James Franco is game, but its chief contribution is a now ubiquitous meme featuring the doomed protagonist sardonically saying, âFirst time?â? "Meal Ticket" is a cold and near wordless yarn about a sleazy con-artist/business man played by Liam FUCKING Neeson using a theatrically trained amputee traveling the chilly north. Arguably the best, âAll Gold Canyon,â? features Tom FUCKING Waits as a prospector willing to go through hell and high water to find everyoneâ(TM)s favorite precious metal. Deep themes about nature and hard work await. The longest and closest to a short film is "The Gal Who Got Rattled," about an unlucky young woman stuck in a westward bound wagon train and tragically unable to stand up for herself. Oh, and it has a BARNBURNER of a shootout on the open plains toward the end. Lastly, âThe Mortal Remainsâ? resembles the stagecoach-based First Act of The Hateful Eight, albeit with a supernatural twist. Buster Scruggs may not make top ten lists of the greatest westerns ever made or even rank in the upper tier of the Coen Brothers own work, but itâ(TM)s still an interesting watch with some great performances and dark humor and plenty of violence for all you vicious cretins. Itâ(TM)s a collection of stories worth listening to.
