Honey Don't!

Honey Don't!
Starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day
Directed by Ethan Coen

When you get a film directed or written by any combination of Joel and Ethan Coen, you're going to get dark comedy, film noir and western subgenres tossed into a blender with a unique result - and sometimes that works off well (such as "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men"), but other times not so much. While Joel is absent from "Honey Don't!," you can still sense the blend of genres, but ultimately the script (co-written by Ethan and his wife Tricia Cooke), falls flat with too many characters and a plotline that deviates so much I forgot what the purpose of the movie was halfway through because of its intense change.

Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator in Bakersfield, California, who investigates mostly cheating spouses, until one prospective client ends up dead under mysterious circumstances. The woman belonged to a church led by the charismatic but devilish Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans), who uses his church to smuggle drugs. She is aided by police officer MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza) - as well as gets involved in a relationship with - when her young niece goes missing. Fearing that the piling bodies and her niece's disappearance are one in the same, Honey sets out to find her before the next body uncovered is hers.

"Honey Don't!" has all the makings of a great modern day noir mystery. The main story is reminiscent of classic noir themes, the cast is strong and capable, the cinematography is exquisite, the score is deafening, and the costume designs are impeccable. Sadly, the only thing holding it back is the film's biggest blunder: the script itself. At first it's very straightforward, but once different characters get introduced, and subplots take the spotlight, the main theme of the movie disappears and doesn't really return until the end, which is in itself a baffling display of confusion that doesn't make sense in the grand scheme of the movie.

Getting to the technical aspects, there's nothing to complain about. Cinematographer Ari Wegner manages to teleport us to a classic time (even though it takes place in the current age) by showing Burbank like a classic Western setting with the hues and colors. Peggy Schnitzer's costume designs are on point, especially in dressing the great Margaret Qualley, and Carter Burwell's score tinges with mystery and suspense. It's a fascinating movie in that you think it takes place in the 80s - with Honey's vintage car, her dress choices, and the fact she still uses phone booths and a paper Rolodex - but it takes place in the modern time.

The actors as well shine with the material they're given. Margaret Qualley (who also starred in Ethan Coen's "Drive-Away Dolls" last year) takes center stage with a grandiose style all her own, showcasing her 5'8'' frame to full effect with her high heels, blouses and trousers (again kudos to Schnitzer for the designs), and delivering her lines with her classic deadpan humor that made for a couple giggling moments by me. Aubrey Plaza continually proves she's not afraid to take chances in her roles, as police officer MG is a strong, powerful lesbian character who gets involved in Honey and, like Qualley, uses her deadpan humor to full effect. Chris Evans continues his more daring roles as the villainous Reverend, who is your generic scummy preacher who preaches the Bible yet does everything against it behind closed doors. The cast here is also impeccable, which only makes it more frustrating.

That frustration, again, is the script. At first it seems like it'll be a cat-and-mouse chase between Qualley's Honey and Evans' Drew, but then different stories take place that drowns out that storyline to the point where Evans is absent through most of the movie and when he re-appears I was like..."oh, right, he's supposed to be the bad guy." If the movie had a more grounded, unified story, this would've been on par with the Coen Brothers best, but as it is, it'll go down as one of Ethan Coen's worst.

The Score: D+