Joel and Ethan Coen

The only film of theirs that I saw was O Brother Where ART Thou? But I really enjoyed that one. So I guess they're batting a thousand, huh?

Don't get me wrong the cohen brothers are pretty good at their directing. But their comedy of films suck! Like the Ladykillers with Tom Hanls was horrible. And Raising Arizona was just in the crapper. The only funny one that was funny was O Brother Where Art Though. Now that was funny. And plus with when they won for No Country For Old Men which was a real good film, their speaches were just unclassy. And they need to stop doing comedy, because their comedy is horrible.

I think that they are heading for the top tier. The problem that they have is that a lot of people don't get it, or overlook it. The kinky stuff in Fargo, Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona and others makes them a winner in my book.

Very, very good heading towards great. . ."Raising Arizona" and "O Brother Where Art Thou" are examples of quirky and memorable works and then the home-run is the increasingly-funny-as-time-goes-on "The Big Lebowski". . .and "Fargo" is a festival of memorable characters. . .one more solid film will make this a five for me. . .

Brilliant and visionary.  They have forged a distinctive style that serves them equally well in farce, satire and drama.  There is no mistaking a Coen Brothers film.  My personal favourite is the little seen Hudsucker Proxy.

Without out a doubt, the Coen brothers started out as a promising five-star directing team; however, they've faded a bit recently. The fact that their films rely so heavily on dialogue appeals to my personal tastes. Their earlier movies (e.g. "Raising Arizona" (1987) and "Fargo" (1996)) evidence their mastery of situation and almost surreal exchanges between characters. Clearly, other great films (e.g. "Pulp Fiction") owe some debt to their distinctive style. Nevertheless, they have recently started to lose their way a bit, as evidenced by "Intolerable Cruelty" (2003), a film I would have never missed. My hope is that the Coen brothers will regroup and refocus.

If I could give them six stars, I would. The best.

A pair of directors who expand their art, but don't quite get there enough. Quirky but very strong narrative sense, and more than technically proficient, they are very very good. They are just not superb.

Whether you like their stuff or not nobody can say that the Coens are bland, formulaic and predictable. IMO, they're the most consistent director/producer team in the biz. They're underrated for sure. Films like 'The Hudsucker Proxy' and 'Miller's crossing' are excellent but are inexplicably overlooked.

These guys are among the handful of filmmakers currently active who can be considered great. From "Blood Simple," a splendid neo-noir, to the hysterical "Raising Arizona," to the spirited, arch "Fargo," to the overlooked masterpiece "Barton Fink," they have consistently made the most daring, well-conceived and executed American films over the past 20 years. Even "Hudsucker," "O Brother," and "Lebowski," which weren't quite as good, are still lightyears more mature, impactful and creative than any of the crap churned out by charlatans like Spielberg and Lucas. The scripts are uniformly brilliant, the visuals quite compelling, and performances first rate. This is the Real Deal.

So good I blame MYSELF when I don't like something they do.

I love these guys. Fargo is probably the best film of the past ten years, while O Brother Where Art Thou is some clever, clever, 'feel good' stuff. Oh, the O Brother Soundtrack is superb, if you're into this genre of music, old timey Gospel. Big Lebowski is another one of my faves, but who could forget Raising Arizona? I love how they often work with same actors/actresses again and again, like John Goodman, and John Turturro, Frances McDormand, Holly Hunter. I think it's the sign of master direction when you find a good group and pretty much stick with them. Look at Hitchcock. How many films did he do with Grace, Cary and Jimmy??

Such great directors. From Blood Simple, through Raising Arizona, to Lebowski and on and on. These guys are masters of intelligent humor without falling victim to senseless slapstick. I have not disliked any of their movies. While most of their movies, like the Big Lebowski, are full of hilarious dialogue, Blood Simple, their first movie (i believe) is so quiet, yet equally as impressive of a movie. A lesser known of their movies, but a must see.

Fargo was a wonderful film. Raising Arizona, great film. However, you can't say enough about that stroke of genius called "O Brother Where Art Thou". The Coens brought it all together in this one. Scene after scene blends in seemlessly into a truly landmark piece of film-making. Wonderful writing, acting, and of course the music. That wonderful music. And the period detail was flawless. They deserved the Oscar for that one.

Oh Brother, Where Are Good Directors These Days is the good title for these guys.

The Coen Brothers deserve props for some of the most memorable movies of the last 15 years. "Raising Arizona" and "Fargo" especially were wonderful and unique films. Sometimes they get a little bit too quirky for their own good, but virtually all their movies ("Barton Fink" included) are worth watching.