Ethan Coen

Along with director, co-writer and brother Joel, writer-producer Ethan Coen helmed a series of stylish, irreverent and cinema-savvy movies that charmed critics while thrilling an initially small, but devoted fan base.Though they evinced a powerful fascination with film genres - particularly screwball comedy and film noir - the Coen Brothers earned a great deal of respect from the Hollywood community despite their penchant to work outside the system. These self-conscious movies-within-movies possessed humorous camera movements, richly textured landscapes, and powerhouse performers spouting beautifully artificial dialogue. While some complained that the brothers were nothing more than slick stylists, the Coens, nonetheless, achieved a rare feat in entertainment: making the movies they wanted with little-to-no outside interference.