Two girlfriends on a roadtrip to Tallahassee, Florida, what could go wrong?
Released on Feb. 23, “Drive-Away Dolls” brings its audience on a wild ride with twists, turns and lesbians at every corner. The film follows Marian and Jamie, who embark on an odyssey of sorts; Marian is seeking a get-away to ease the stress of her nine-to-five office job, while Jamie is trying to have fun – and get Marian laid along the way.
The two purchase a drive-away (a single-use vehicle that is driven from one location to another), but they unknowingly rent a car that holds a top-secret suitcase in its trunk. The “sensitive information” they had was meant to be received by a pair of mafia-style goons, a comical Tom-and-Jerry duo who would hunt down the vehicle and the two girls who possess it.
What I liked about Marian and Jamie’s relationship was their very contrasting personalities. At first I called them Bert and Ernie, but there are many other comparisons that could be made.
The two were very similar to Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in “The Heat,” one being professional while the other was unhinged. Or, they can be seen as a modern-day “Thelma & Louise,” fighting against all odds until the bitter end. Another observation of mine is the recurring theme of lesbian-based comedy in theaters recently; this comedy was adjacent to “Bottoms,” a hilarious comedy about lesbian high schoolers released last August.
The film starred Geraldine Viswanathan as Marian and Margaret Qualley as Jamie. Qualley recently played a character in “Poor Things,” and did a great job in both roles. Other stars like Matt Damon, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal and Miley Cyrus made appearances throughout the film.
It was directed, written and produced by Ethan Coen, who has made several other films (none that I have seen). Although Coen has reached many notable accomplishments, evident by his 13 Academy Award nominations, this film felt like a short-coming of his talent as a film-maker.
Comparing “Get-Away Dolls” to a similar film like “Bottoms,” I have some thoughts. “Bottoms” was directed and written by a woman, and had much greater success. “Drive-Away Dolls” had a 65% tomatometer score as of Feb. 24, and “Bottoms” had a 95% tomatometer score on Sept. 1, shortly after its release. I wonder if women-driven films are best-received when created by women – some food for thought.
The film contains lots of sex and violence, but I think it could have done better with some more subtlety.
Some things I really liked about this film were the musical score and the abnormal transitions. Transitioning between scenes was comical, and at times psychedelic. This aspect of the film is difficult to describe, so perhaps find out for yourself!
I enjoyed “Drive-Away Dolls,” and would likely watch it again. I’d give it three and a half stars out of five.