The 1984 film debut of brilliant filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, BLOOD SIMPLE oozes the visual style, wit and storytelling flair that would become their trademark in later films like "Fargo" and "No Country For Old Men".
Dan Hedaya stars as a Julian, a Texas bar owner that hires a sleazy private eye named Loren Visser to keep an eye on his wife.
M. Emmet Walsh plays Visser as an overbearing, too happy oaf all too happy to catch people at their worst.
Coen brothers favorite Frances McDormand is great in one of her first film roles as Julian's wife Abby. Abby is having a torrid affair with bartender Ray, played well by 80's everyman John Getz.
When the private eye decides to take matters into his own hands for a bigger payday, the Coens spin the tale you THINK you know into something much more twisted.
Like classic Hitchcock with a modern bloody twist and buckets of black humor, our characters are soon doing things based on what they think they know versus reality.
Like Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" only at the end or even with repeat viewings do you realize all the layers of hidden motivation behind these dusty Texas folks with a lot of secrets.
It's violent, smart, funny and suspenseful.
There's nothing simple about storytelling this masterful. The Coens came out of the gate strong and their debut gets an A.
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