Not such a well known movie but definitely worth watching (The Hudsucker Proxy (DVD))

Member Name: IzzyS

Product:	The Hudsucker Proxy (DVD)
Date:	15/06/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting story, very 'fantastical' feel to it/atmospheric, good performances, ending

Disadvantages: Perhaps it could be seen as slightly over the top or cheesy to some if your really critical

- Credits -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110074/fullcredits


- Story -

Norville Barnes is a recent graduate on the lookout for his first proper job in the big city (New York) in the late 1950s. However he doesn't find it easy to get a job as practically all the jobs on offer specify they require someone with plenty of experience, which he lacks. That is, until he accidentally happens to spot an advert for someone to join Hudsucker industries, a job that required no previous experience to apply.

However, what Norville doesn't realise is that by applying and consequently getting the job and starting out as a basic over worked mail room employee, he's actually being used as a pawn in a stock scam thought out by the senior management of the company, after the head of the company had recently committed suicide. They decide to offer the job with the intention of making whoever takes it, some random joe schmo who knows little being preferable to them, the president of the company in order to make confidence in the company by the many different shareholders, to drive down the price of shares for when they come onto the market after the death of the their previous head of the company (sorry im not so great at explaining it but you can read the basic plot here on Ciao as well or on IMDB or wherever else, I tried lol).


- Thoughts & Openions -

The movie has quite a comic book and moralistic feel to it, being set in a city in the late 1950s, whereby the characters are quite over the top in an exaggerated way, with the loud mouthed executives/bosses and a scheming woman who isn't what she makes herself out to be.

Its a very American movie, with the start of the movie giving a glimpse of the end and with narration by Bill Cobbs (who also plays the character of Moses), with a somewhat thick southern accent. The musical score adds some effect at points too with an enthusiastic orchestra adding crescendos at points and giving it more of a 1950s 'hustle and bustle' feel to it.

It does seem to be a movie with some morals behind it and its interesting to see the way Norville changes as a person after being made president of the company. I guess you could say the movie is all about judging the characters your introduced to and about how that could lead to you changing too.

It has quite a 'fantastical' feel to it, with it seeming almost like its set in Gotham city, as a dark, money centric city with its fair share of villainous type characters. The ending has an interesting twist, it is a little 'Its a Wonderful Life'-esque I believe but its not too mushy, I found it quite clever actually, the orchestral score again adding to the atmosphere then and yes it is quite Christmassy as well I guess you could say, with snow adding to the atmosphere near the end as the poignant plot twist takes place.

Tim Robbins does well playing the main character as a seemingly eager, enthusiastic and naive graduate looking to work his way up the career ladder in business and the other characters are equally well acted.


- Would I Recommend It? -

All in all, I thought this was a well made movie that could perhaps be seen as a bit over the top perhaps but its obviously meant to be, to get its point across I think and I certainly enjoyed it, so yes I would recommend it.

Thanks for reading my review, I hope you found it useful and thanks for any and all r/r/c's. This review is also be posted on Ciao UK under my username which is the same name, IzzyS.

Summary: A lesser known Coen brothers movie thats worth looking into