My favourite is 'The Big Lebowski', the dialogue is so quotable and Goodman and Bridges have rarely been better, but 'Miller's Crossing' is up there along with 'Fargo', 'Barton Fink', 'Raising Arizona' and 'The Man Who Wasn't There'.
In fact, most of their films are excellent, the only relative failures being 'The Ladykillers' and 'Intolerable Cruelty'. Still need to see their debut, 'Blood Simple' and their latest 'Inside Llewyn Davis' though.
I rate quotable dialogue right up there in the rating department as well.
I am learning several Coen's scripts off by heart.
Lebowski is the most quotable so far.
Fargo too but a lot of it is in the accents.
Fink has some classics lines without big laughs.
True also for Serious Man and Man Who Wasn't there.
No Country has a lot for an action type movie and great accents but it's not so much the Coen's words.
Miller's is probably second for me too due to Tom's character plus the slang.
I'll see where the twist flops.
I think Miller's Crossing is their fourth best after No Country For Old Men, Fargo and Barton Fink. Big Lebowski is actually one of my least favourite Coens movie.
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It's kind of strange that TBL is consistently rated one of their best but their other out and out comedies are not as popular on many 'lists'.
Maybe if Tom Hanks was a stoner....
I rate it 4th as well... Only difference is its No Country-The Big Lebowski-Fargo-Millers Crossing... It took me time to truly place these films when I had a discussion with my friend the other day. Their work is almost ALWAYS good in its own way. Intolerable Cruelty is just BAD. That's the only miss. No Country gets better and better every day. Its layered like a Kubrick film
shareI ended up liking this, no country, etc... But I thought the big lebowski was overrated. I still gave it a 7, though.
shareI like Intolerable Cruelty. I haven't seen The Ladykillers, but Intolerable Cruelty is, while not up to their usual standards, excellent.
My favourite two films, though, are Barton Fink and, yes, Miller's Crossing. It might be coincidence that one film was written in the middle of writing the other. Maybe not. These are great scripts, beautifully shot and performed by excellent casts. They're moody, funny, dramatic, powerful, and have a staggering amount of symbolism and meaning. They are top-notch films, even better than the usually cited "Best Films" by the Coens (Lebowski, Fargo, No Country).
I put Miller's Crossing in a category with
Lebowski
Fargo
No Country
Oh Brother
where my opinion of best depends entirely on my mood that day.
"Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules. "
-Walter Sobchak
I can't really rank, but I'll put in tiers
Best
Fargo
Inside Llewyn Davis
The Man Who Wasn't there (seriously underrated)
Millers Crossing
No country (took a few viewings to really like it)
Blood Simple
Lebowski
2nd tier
Hail Caesar
Intolerable Cruelty
Burn after reading
A serious man
Hudsucker Proxy
True grit
3rd Tier Good movies, but less enjoyable or little desire to rewatch
O'Brother
Raising Arizona
Barton Fink
Haven't seen Ladykillers and sounds like I'm not missing anything.