The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Buster Scruggs had a good line of sight, but the Coen’s were sprinkling targets with very variable success. Most of the bullets ended up in the prairie. A disparate, unbalanced anthology that is meant to recall the romantic charm of westerns and the West, which has never been. Instead, it reminds us that the Coen’s are no longer masters of tonal equilibristics, eccentric dialogues and brilliant points. This film plays more on sentiment rather than skillfully creating it. Some short stories (trunk, gold digger) are downright awful and out of rhythm. Even though the moods change here, the overall impression is insanely monotonous, also because the Coen’s only vary safely. In the end, I remember with love the demented version of Lemonade Joe, the hangman blues of James Franco and the dog ballad... the rest is not even worth a spit into the dust. (26/11/2018)

The Coen brothers have always had their own specific approach to storytelling and this short-story western is no different. The beginning, for instance, is an exemplary bliss. Buster Scruggs is a character you simply have to love because the things he does in the first short story are simply badass. Coupled with the specific direction style of the Coen brothers, it’s the bomb. But then the first story ends, the second one starts and things get incredibly boring. The stories don’t follow up on one another and there aren’t any great endings that could attract your attention… the stories simply flow and the original excitement about the director’s ideas gradually fades and all you are left with is Buster Scruggs himself. (28/02/2019)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs starts with an intriguing and original storytelling style, with Tim Blake Nelson taking center stage with his singing. The sequences in the dingy bar and at the card table are genuinely funny, and the ending of the story didn't disappoint. 82% Near Algodones features a character who always seems to narrowly escape certain death. The execution was surprising, as I expected some external intervention and rescue, but what else to expect from the Coens' dark humor, right? 82% Meal Ticket had immense potential, which unfortunately wasn’t fully realized. The ending is sad, but I expected Neeson wouldn't come out of it unscathed. 63% All Gold Canyon is probably the second-best contribution to the film. The impressive shots of the stunning landscape are complemented by Tom Waits' excellent, understated performance. The ending was initially frightening, but the 180° twist was a must. Justice exists! 88% The Gal Who Got Rattled is simply outstanding. Although it’s the longest segment, its conclusion completely blew me away. The shot of Mr. Arthur with President Pierce on the hill is almost poetic. This is how I remember the Coens! 90% The Mortal Remains had an ending I didn't quite grasp, but the transition from a comfortable journey to one with no return was quite impactful. 75% In summary, the film was successful. If it had maintained the quality of the fourth and fifth segments, I would have had no complaints. Still, it was a compelling return of this directing duo. Overall, 80%. (15/01/2019)

The idea of short western stories by the Coen brothers with a great cast seemed very appealing to me, but the result didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The extensive runtime and weird endings without much of a point didn’t help either. I’m not going to pretend I didn't have fun. I enjoyed some of the stories a lot, others considerably less. Anyway, I'm glad I saw the film, but it isn’t worth more than a slightly above-average score. /"First time?"/ 3*+ (18/08/2020)

I had to strain to think back to a time when the Coen brothers last spoke to me so strongly, and the best I could do was No Country for Old Men. Even the related genre film True Grit was not as complex and did not cover as many subgenres as this one does. I am most grateful that from the very beginning this was a film and not a series, as originally rumored in the media, before the creators themselves shut down such rumors. This is exactly how, in seemingly unrelated stories bound by death, two hours, and a formal reading from a book, it clearly resonates how cruel, hopeless, and infinitely romantic life in the Wild West must have been. (24/10/2019)