Raising Arizona 1987 | 94mins | dir: Joel Coen | starring: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter | 11.35pm, BBC1, Friday 1 October | Available from Amazon reviewed by Lebby Eyres uploaded: 27-09-2004 Stylishly offbeat comedies are what the Coen brothers do best - and even better when they star Nicolas Cage (in his younger days) Once upon a time Nic Cage was an attractive man who starred in cool films. We even suspected he was actually cool, too. He ate cockroaches and wooed his ex-wife Patricia Arquette with orchids sprayed black and signatures of reclusive authors. But then… well, his always fairly sparse hair started to recede even further. He starred in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin with, horror of horrors, Penelope Cruz. And, worst of all, he hit mid-life-crisis-must-date-teenage-Asian-girl stage. So we’re sorry, but Nic Cage isn’t cool any more. But happily, this film is, and so is he in it. Even better, Holly Hunter’s pretty good too, still quirky and a long time before she hit her own mid-life crazy-big-hair stage (see 13 for evidence – okay in the film, but then she started wearing the style for real). And finally, should you need any more convincing, it’s also by the Coen Brothers, makers of, yes you’ve guessed it, pretty cool films. What’s it about? Well, Cage is a con who falls in love with a policewoman. They get married but their happiness won’t be complete without a nipper – and Edwina (Hunter) is infertile. So the pair kidnap one of a set of quintuplets, figuring that no one will miss him. You can see the logic. Unfortunately, the babby belongs to an unpainted furniture tycoon, who dispatches a Hell’s Angel in pursuit. It’s a great set up for a chase movie, and of course alongside the leads there’s a colourful cast of eccentric characters (including Fargo star Frances McDormand) with odd accents and strange facial hair. It's a quirky, sweet film that’s definitely worth revisiting if you haven't seen it since 1987 - and if you never have, then you're in for a treat. Best quote: "I'll be taking these Huggies and whatever cash ya got" H.I McDonnough (Nic Cage) rating: 8/10 Babies, bikers and lots of bonkers people chasing after each other - great [The Wedding Singer]