Does it feel like the gay boys always get to have all the fun? They get Bros, Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Down Low; we get Ammonite. OK fine, also Bottoms, but you get the idea. Queer women rarely get to behave badly, get sexy, and have fun. But at long last, we’re finally getting everything we want in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s latest comedy caper, Drive-Away Dolls.
Courtesy of Focus Features
The film follows Jamie, an uninhibited sapphic lothario (Margaret Qualley), and her buttoned-up friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) as they head out on a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida in a car they have no idea was intended for a group of criminals, and which has some, ahem, illicit wares tucked away in the trunk.
What follows is the best of Coen’s oeuvre: quirky characters portrayed by all-star actors including Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and the always luminous Beanie Feldstein, who approach every moment on screen with thier tongues firmly planted in their cheeks.
Courtesy of Focus Features
Despite this star power, the film remains firmly in the hands of Qualley and Viswanathan, who charm and delight as they head out on the road for an adventure full of lesbian dive bars, basement makeout parties, and maybe even some true romance — or at least some very hot sex.
Therein lies the delight of the film: Sure, it’s whimsical and absurd, like the best of Coen’s work — it’s perhaps closest in tone and pacing to Raising Arizona or O Brother Where Art Thou — but it’s rooted in unbridled, uninhibited Sapphic joy. Qualley’s Jamie is Shane McCutcheon without the angst and she plays wonderfully off the more reserved Marian, creating the perfect buddy-cop dynamic to keep the jokes coming and the chemistry crackling.
Courtesy of Focus Features
I would be remiss to not take a moment to offer praise to Feldstein’s Sukie, Jamie’s jilted lover who bubbles with rage and dry wit. She also gets a few delightful action beats that’ll have you wishing for a spin-off of her fighting crime and verbally castrating everyone who stands in her way.
margaret qualley and geraldine viswanathan
Drive-Away Dolls is a cheeky, hilarious, and transgressive delight from start to finish. It’s packed with unforgettable characters and visual gags you can’t (nor want) to scrub from your mind, even as they send you into fits of uncomfortable giggles. Girls, this is the comedy we’ve been waiting for, so grab your besties and head to the cinema as soon as you can.
Rating: 4.5 stars
