The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) ****1/2

I would argue that 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy is Joel and Ethan Coen’s most underrated film, but that honor goes to 2003’s Intolerable Cruelty (review), as THP seems to have enjoyed a bit of a reevaluation in the last decade or so. Pitch perfectly cast—down to the smallest bit part—and gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins (Art Deco heaven), replete with superb, rapid-fire dialogue and editing, THP is the Coen Bros. (and co-writer Sam Raimi’s) love letter to screwballs/Howard Hawks/Frank Capra/et al. that still feels 100% their own. Pure comedic brilliance and you can’t tell me otherwise. And it’s not just, you know, for kids.

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