‘Drive-Away Dolls’ review: A road trip to comedy hell
nypost.comPedro Pascal or Matt Damon turn, you won’t find it in “Drive-Away Dolls.” Qualley is the closest here to a standout. Her energetic personality pops, even if her over-the-top character is something out of “SpongeBob: After Dark.” Viswanathan, on the other hand, has been giving the same side-eye, dry, “I’d rather not” performance since 2018’s “Blockers.” Her consistency has begun to feel rote and clinical.The arc of Marian and Jamie’s companionship is as predictable as Old Faithful, and the warm conclusion unearned.“Dolls” is, of course, meant to be lighter than air.
But Coen, directing without his brother and former creative partner Joel (together, “No Country For Old Men”), shows just how heavy lightness can become when not handled properly.
The balance between humor and crime here is way off, and the jokes are belabored. The Coen brothers’ dark comedies, such as “The Big Lebowski,” so often worked because of their confident tones.
The mood here, from beginning to end, is confused and tentative. Even the edited transitions, from Coen’s wife and co-writer Tricia Cooke, are screensaver choppy.Perhaps those corny swivels and slides are a shout-out to its Y2K-era setting.
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