O' Brother

There is a line in O Brother, Where Art Thou? that sums up not just the consensus view of this movie, but also that of nearly every Coen Brothers production. George Clooney says to his chained counterpart John Turturro, "It's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart." Indeed, there may never have been a better and more meaningful statement uttered. For that sums up the total outlook Joel and Ethan have given to us ever since their stunning debut in 1984 with Blood Simple.

Although this is not a new concept for them, I think these themes work really well with the setting of this movie, one of the most original in remembrance. Here, we get the story of Homer's The Odyssey set in the 1930s of the American South as three bumbling ex-cons search for a treasure while encountering many obstacles along the way. However, like many a Coen Brothers movie, the plot is just a spot to hang up the arc of the story in order to give way for the really interesting aspects; here being the idiosyncrasies of the characters, the gorgeous wide-screen photography, and the overall crass view of human existence.

Through all this, there is a great amount of fun and joy in this story. Clooney is the fast-talking, slick leader of this weirdly likable trio and despite many believing he is too good looking and polished for the role, I believe that only adds to his repertoire, for this Everett needs to be a fast-talker in order to be taken serious because of his looks. Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson add comic support but also depth with their portrayals of Pete and Delmar, chained to Everett and loyal followers the whole way. Even with the clever writing and shifty characters, there is something of a heart behind this story as well as the typical cynicism of the Coens.

This is certainly the type of movie that grows on you and multiple viewings are needed not necessarily to understand the plot but to capture the tone and message of the movie; if there is one. Still, if nothing else, one can certainly appreciate the intelligent/stupid mixture of humor the Coens are capable of mixing together so well. Clooney, Turturro and Nelson are wonderful in their respectable roles and of course, Roger Deakins perfectly captures the feeling of the old South with his colorful and rich cinematography. Here is a great looking, fast talking, clever movie with not much of a message. With the Coens in charge, what is the problem?

The Coen Brothers have done it again. Three depression era convicts(George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson)escape a Mississippi chain gang and head off in search of buried treasure that will fund their new lives. Along the way, they sing on the radio and become much sought after stars as well as escapees. Great laughs and a soundtrack that is a lesson/introduction to bluegrass music.

Clooney is outstanding as the fast talking, quick witted Ulysses Everett McGill. Holly Hunter plays his estranged wife. Turturro and Nelson are flawless stumblebums. Also in the cast are John Goodman and Charles Durning.

Dan Tyminksi provides the singing voice for George Clooney on "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow", the Soggy Bottom Boys song that serves as a template for the bluegrass laden soundtrack that also features Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, The Whites, John Hartford, The Cox Family and Gillian Welch. Toe tapping, knee slapping fun for the whole family. You'll be surprised with how relaxed and funny this movie is.

This was the best film I saw in the year 2000. The Cohen brothers have never let me down before, and they certainly didn't this time either.

It's one of those rare movies these days - it's witty, intelligent and vastly entertaining. I left the cinema with a warmth in my heart. Of course, there's lot of Cohen stuff in there - odd characters and peculiar gadgets, well-developed plot and magic camerawork. But no Cohen film is resembling any other Cohen film, if you overlook the general quality of them, of course.

The big surprise for me was that Clooney is so good. But the true master performance in this movie comes from Tim Blake-Nelson. But the rest of the cast is superb too.

A film that is lightweight comedy with a musical touch that evolve it's story round rednecks and old time country music - dripping with wit and intelligence. Thats a very unlikely combination. But it's exactly what this picture is.

First, for those of you who don't know who Owen Gleiberman is, he's one of Entertainment Weekly's movie critics. From what I remember reading in his review when "O Brother Where Art Thou?" came out, he said it was just stupid stereotypes and gave it an F. Now that I've actually seen this movie (I got it for my birthday a few months ago), I realize how stupid I was to trust the opinions of a man who also had the nerve to give "X- Men" a C.

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is an excellent film in all senses. I'm normally not a George Clooney fan (Until then, the only movie with him I liked was "From Dusk Till Dawn"), but his performance in this film was perfect, and he truly deserved that Golden Globe he won for it. I also really liked the actor who played Delmar. His realistically amusing facial expressions and hilarious lines ("We thought...you was...a toad!")kept me happy all throughout the film. The frightening Sheriff made an effective villain, and the equally intense scene with the KKK rally was really exciting to behold.

The references to the Odyssey were charming and well- done, although I still don't get who George Nelson was supposed to resemble in the ancient Greek story. However, the Siren scene and its aftermath were quite funny, and John Goodman is creditable as the one- eyed Big Dan Teague. Easily one of the best scenes in the movie is when the Soggy Bottom Boys sing "Man of Constant Sorrow". That song quickly brought a smile to my face, and should have won that MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance.

So, you can forget about what the "professional" critics at Entertainment Weekly said about it, and just enjoy this hysterical, light- hearted and worthwhile film.

One of the finest pieces of story telling ever to hit celluloid. The performances are so perfect and dead-on, and the nuances so subtle, that this movie defies description. It is no wonder that the reviews you read run the gamut from "piece of junk", to "superb" to just plain confused. This is a must-see movie, and from there you're on your own, you have to decide for yourself. Note, however, that this film follows its own course -- *loosely* based on Ulysses, and with its own symbolism, characters, and themes. To spot them all you will need to watch carefully, think constantly, and, in all likelihood, see the film many times more than once. Not to worry, it improves with each viewing.