TMS Movie Review: Drive-Away Dolls
(Wilson Webb / Focus Features)
Over the past decade we’ve had a few famous sibling partnerships go on hiatus for solo projects. Peter Farrelly of the slapstick comedy duo the Farrelly Bros directed Green Book (2018) to Oscar success. Nancy Wilson of the classic rock band Heart, co-fronted by her and sister Ann, recorded and released her first solo record ‘You and Me’ in 2021. The respected filmmaking duo the Coen Bros. even parted ways for Joel to direct his interpretation of The Tragedy of MacBeth (2021), and now Ethan with his first sole directing credit on Drive-Away Dolls. While Joel’s MacBeth was generally fine production wise, Ethan’s own effort makes me wonder if the two actually bring out the best in each other.
In 1999 Philadelphia, PA, Jamie (Margaret Qualley) is a carefree, spontaneous lesbian who is done with relationships and needs a do-over. Her best friend is uptight, straight laced Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who’s never been in a relationship and planning to move in with her aunt in Tallahassee, FL, for a new start. Jamie convinces Marian to let her tag along for the road trip, where the pair unexpectedly get involved with three criminals after they are mistakenly given a drive-away car with two secret boxes related to a murder and the re-elected senator of Florida. Bill Camp co-stars as the car serviceman who accidentally gives the friends the wrong car, Colman Domingo, Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson play the criminals after Jamie and Marian, and Beanie Feldstein is Jamie’s recent ex-girlfriend and a local cop. Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Miley Cyrus also pop up with cameos.
(Wilson Webb / Focus Features)
Despite the Coen Brother connection and the amazing actor line-up, Drive-Away Dolls is the first film of 2024 to considerably disappoint me. I’m generally okay with the Coens’ brand of humor, but something about this new comedy really didn’t work for me and was almost off-putting at points. Qualley, whose real mother is southern model-actress Andie MacDowell, has a surprisingly mediocre twang throughout the film and neither female lead feel appropriately cast chemistry wise. The 84 minute runtime should be a welcome change of pace from the now common 2+ hour movies we get, but Ethan and Tricia Cooke’s script actually feels rushed and sloppy by the end. Drive-Away Dolls is set right before Y2K, yet most of the movie’s atmosphere is closer to 1960s/70s inspired, including sporadic trippy, psychedelic interludes and songs by Linda Ronstadt and Lizzy Mercier Descloux on the soundtrack.
While Cyrus’ appearance in the flick is amusingly subversive to those familiar with classic rock groupie lore, and some of the supporting cast of Drive-Away Dolls do well enough; I’m not surprised Joel and Ethan are apparently already reuniting on a future project. It’s good to go out of your comfort zone once in a while, but maybe it can also remind you what your strengths are.