The Hudsucker Proxy

They thought he was a fall guy. But he threw them for a hoop. The chairmans plan was to put a ding-dong at the head of hudsucker inc. then snap up the stock at a bargain price when it falls. But the plan didnt count on the fool chosen. Mailroom flunkie having an idea of his own. Its called the hula hoop. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/07/2005 Starring: Tim Robbins Jennifer Jason Leigh Run time: 111 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Joel Coen

The Coen brothers (Raising Arizona, Fargo) have become the most consistently original filmmakers in the land. In a salute/reworking of the fast-talking comedies of the '40s, we follow Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) and his amazing rise to the top. But he's only a puppet for the evil Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), who wants the company for himself. The Coens' design is the real star, and their first big-budget film will stimulate movie fans. The story weakens in the middle, but you will find very few films that move with this much imagination. As a Kate Hepburn hybrid, Jennifer Jason Leigh is wonderful in an almost unplayable role. The less you know about the film, the better it plays, so just think of it as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying mixed with Brazil and every journalistic drama made before 1960. Cowritten by Sam Raimi. --Doug Thomas