Review of The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) by Jonathan B — 13 Sep 2010

Supposedly set in the late 1950's, this movie to me appears to owe more to the 1930's in terms of its highly stylised imagery and dialogue. Jennifer Jason Leigh in particular delivers her lines with the kind of clipped staccato that wouldn't have been out of place coming from the lips of a platinum blonde bombshell as she scowled from beneath her Marcel wave. It's a weird, unnatural setting, telling of corporate skullduggery and a little man made good. Tim Robbins is fantastic in the lead role of the idealistic and naive post room worker catapulted into heading up a giant corporation in order to make a dishonestly fast buck for the managing directors. Paul Newman displays superb comic timing as he does a fair bit of metaphorical moustache twirling in his attempt to wrest control of the company.

If anything, this seems to be an attempt by the Coen brothers to pay due respect to the movies of Terry Gilliam such as Brazil and Time Bandits and they pull it off brilliantly. A wonderfully quirky, feel good movie which has some brilliantly funny scenes.....the little boy who discovers the hula hoop and Charles Durning as an angel had me roaring with laughter....I'd recommend this to anyone who likes their humour a little bit left of field.