Movie Meow: Drive-Away Dolls is a roadtrip dead on arrival

Famed director and writer Ethan Cohen, known mainly for No Country for Old Men, and A Serious Man, brings us his latest project with a cast of mainly unknowns, with the exception of superstar Matt Damon making a guest appearance as a favor to the wizard.

Don’t get too excitedM — att was only in a total of 10 minutes and that is being generous. Drive-Away Dolls was originally titled and known as Drive-Away Dykes by its creators, but the studio made them change the title unofficially to a more user-friendly version that would be less offensive to the masses.

The tagline for this off-beat comedy is “A story of two ladies going South.” My day goes south everyday Monday to Friday, from the second I clock into my day-trade job, until the moment I walk out of the doors in the afternoon! I know many of you sympathize with me and can totally relate when we are “living the dream” as oh so many tend to overuse the corny phrase around this area.

Drive-Away Dolls follows two young, free-spirited women who decide to embark on an impromptu trip to Tallahassee, Florida. But kid you not, things don’t end up being all sunshine and rainbows for the two hopefuls. They quickly cross paths with a group of inept criminals along their journey that spice up a rather predictable trip to the Sunshine State.

Creator and genius Ethan Cohen, one half of the former Cohen Brothers combo, who were hitmakers but now presently estranged has hit a roadblock here with this off-color box office sleeper. Talk about a banana peel being thrown in the hitmaker’s path!

Drive-Away Dolls was ratty, dark, and primarily unlikeable territory. I didn’t snicker, and the characters, including Damon were as blah as the day is long. And let me tell you, somedays the day is real, real long. Skip it! One of the year’s biggest disappointments hands down and we are only now in the first week of May.

Drive-Away Dolls, starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Matt Damon

Christopher’s “Meow” Score: “2 1/2” paws out 10.