"What's in the box? wailed Brad Pitt in Seven, in Ethan Coen's Drive-away Dolls we get to find out, although not in the way that David Fincher would have done it, which is a pity, cos it would have made Seven much, much funnier.
Drive Away-dolls follows two single lesbian best friends, Jamie and Marian (Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) as they set out on a road trip in a 'drive-way' car rental from Philadelphia to Tallahassee following the break-up of Jamie's relationship with anger-issues cop, Sukie (Beanie Feldstein). The trouble is, the two friends have been given a car with a dangerous secret, one that's locked in a briefcase in the boot that has already cost the life of one man. In hot pursuit are a duo of hit-men, Arliss and Flint (Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson) sent by their boss, Chief (Colman Domingo) to get the case at any cost. The three of them are in the employ of a mysterious and incredibly powerful man who will stop at nothing to prevent what's in the box from being revealed.
Throw in an insanely horny woman's football team, a series of drug-fuelled psychedelic, hippie flashback sequences that may hold the answer to the riddle of the case, a buttoned up senator facing re-election and a series of lesbian bars filled with a kooky bunch of Coen-esq characters.
Using the old and much loved trope of the mystery briefcase and its contents as one of his primers, Ethan and writing partner, Tricia Cooke deliver an raunchy road-movie comedy that starts filled with vim and vigour and two extremely likeable and funny leads, but sadly runs out of steam and putt-putts cross the finishing line one hour and 24 minutes later.
Overall it feels like an early Coen Brothers film, like Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy or The Big Lebowski, but with the manic humour cranked up to 11. It features two lengthy car sequences as both sets of couples, Jamie and Marian and Arliss and Flint talk at great length in a series of talking heads shots, which does somewhat slow down proceedings and there's a sudden burst of violence at the beginning of the third act which completely tips the balance of the film and robs it of a satisfying climax. Instead we have the introduction of one final character and a disappointing ending which just fizzes when it should have popped.
That said, the acting is great, the two leads have fantastic chemistry and Margaret Qualley's quick-fire Texas delivery is an absolute hoot. Given the role the buttoned up and sexually frustrated Marian, Geraldine Viswanathan brings a nice dollop of reserve to the proceedings, much needed to temper Jamie.
This is a film that in lesser hands would have ended up as a tad sleazy and exploitative, but in the hands of Coen and Cooke, the film's multiple sex scenes are impressive has they feature no overt nudity, indeed it's all implied and the sex scenes are raunchy but never titillating.
Featuring some lovely Coen visual flourishes, editing and camera tricks and a fabulous soundtrack, this is fun, fast and frantic roadmovie which is sadly let down by somewhat flat 3rd arc which feels a tad pat and pre-dick-table, if you'll pardon the pun, because once the briefcase is opened and its contents revealed, the film sort of losses its magic and the final coming together of the separate plot threads feels too clean and crisp.
All that said, it's still an entertaining and funny film. 8/10
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