I voted for Fargo, a close second is Serious Man.
No votes yet for The Man Who Wasn’t There? Wow. There’s an original version of it (the film was shot in colour) kicking around in torrents, make that one your next pyjama movie night. Helluva movie. I thought I was showing love for an underdog by voting for Miller’s Crossing.
Ultimately, it’s an embarassment of riches and favourites will change again and again. The newer films will all grow up big and strong here too, I guarantee it. Seems like last time I was defending the newish “minor comedy” The Big Lebowski against board favourite Barton Fink. Even the ones that initially earn faint praise critically, more for cutting a little too close to the bone than any lack of artistic merit, will one day be seen as American cultural treasures.
I very much enjoyed reading what you think about these films, so read nothing into me concluding with this John Malkovich scene 
Lebowski rules of course for plain ol watchability but in terms of great movies Miller’s Crossing wins hands down. Honestly no contest.
My favorite Malkovich scene in BAR is where he’s working out to a cheesy 80s exercise video on his boat. “I’m bigger than ever, I’m bigger, I’m back…”
Missed the edit window, but my memory is faulty, found this thread (and a ton of others) where it seems The Big Lebowski was well-appreciated here.
I must have been thinking about some other community more…errr…in league with the general tastes of the day. 
@blondebear
Malkovich, Clooney, Simmons, McDormand, Swinton, Pitt, and an unbelievable collection of masterful smaller roles…it’s another “minor comedy” until you lose yourself in a 45-minute chain of YouTube clips…
Of course, this hinges on how you define “best.” And my choice would change depending on which definition of “best” is used.
Is it the most finely crafted?
Is it the one with the deepest themes?
Is it the most emotionally affecting?
Is it the funniest?
Is it the one I would most want to watch again?
This ^ and also the “you can’t step into the same river twice” phenomenon. We see ourselves reflected in different characters in different phases of life. The childlike adults in Burn After Reading are caricatures that couldn’t really exist, could they? As a younger viewer I might have agreed.
All 5 are still really tough questions, but this reveals the breadth of the Coens’ oeuvre. The last one especially, since I counted 14 that I’d hope to see again (and probably again,) some very soon because of this thread.
My intention was that the definition of best, like the choice of which movie fits that definition, be left up to the individual.
I’ve already voted — pretty sure I clicked Fargo. I’ve seen most, but not all, the movies on the list. Including at least one that I didn’t realize was a Coen Brothers movie…
I thought this movie was unusually bad. (I guess I just don’t like comedies.)
When I vote in polls on this board, the choice I voted for is italicized.
Didn’t vote for a couple of reasons. First, not sure I could decide between my faves (Raising AZ, Fargo, Lebowski, Oh Brother). Second, I haven’t seen all of them.
What strikes me most, tho, is how widely I vary between my appreciation for those films above, and my dislike for the likes of Hudsucker (turned it off 2x before making it through), or just plain meh (No Country, Hail Ceasar). Yet even Hudsucker - which I considered unwatchable, is several folks’ fave. Interesting.
Same here. Hudsucker is terrible. I still haven’t gotten through it. Maybe it’s time for a rewatch.
The Hudsucker Proxy is brilliant. It’s like a Frank Kapra film starring Bugs Bunny.
:smack: I probably knew that once … and then forgot it. Perhaps I’ll forget it again.
I did vote for Fargo.
The Hudsucker Proxy is one that I haven’t seen. Should I watch it?
I wasn’t sure if it worked that way on all systems. I was thinking maybe I was seeing it because I use Chrome and you were using Firefox or Safari.
Don’t know if that was accidental or brilliant, but melding “atheist” and “aesthetics” hitteth the nail on the head. I could have voted for Hail Caesar!. It’s as ahead of its time as the setting is behind it, so it’s a bit difficult to pin down without inventing these new words. Is there one of those German compound words for “scoff-love”?
Another one of those with masterful smaller roles, everyone talks about the dance number because they think it’s less cutting, but Ralph Fiennes puts in one of the most watchable comedic acting jobs in film. Instant classic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGpsXuMvApo
Of course. It’s not like you’d get the time back if you spent it doing something else.
That’s what I thought. Plus, you look at that cast and figure how could it possibly suck so bad?!
This last time I made it farther than ever before, hoping I just hadn’t gotten to “the good part.” But there was no good part to get to. Won’t make that mistake again!
I don’t get the hate for The Ladykillers. Maybe because it isn’t an original script? Or because it’s a remake? I don’t know but I think it’s friggin’ hilarious. The only thing that kept me from voting for it in the poll was The Big Lebowski.
I watched Ladykillers once, thought it very poor and have no urge to rewatch. I was surprised to note just here that it was by the great Coen Brothers. Is it that it’s comedy? (Is that why Lebowski gets only #2 from me. No Country Old Men suffers from being too brutal, and relying on action where Fargo is dialog.)
Based on this, will I like Hudsucker or not?