O Brother, Where art Thou?
Joel Coen - Writer/Director
Ethan Coen - Writer/Director
George Clooney - Ulysses Everett McGill
John Turturo - Pete
Tim Blake Nelson - Delmar O'Donnell
John Goodman - Dan Teague
Holly Hunter - Penny
Daniel von Bargen - Sherriff Cooley/The Devil
Michael Badallucco - George "Babyface" Nelson
Stephen Root - Radio Station Man
Charles Durning - Pappy O'Daniel
Chris Thomas King - Tommy Johnson
O Brother Where art Thou is based (loosely) upon Homer's "The Odyssey." I've never read it, but the film contains sirens, a cyclops and a blind prophet, all of which I'm sure reference the source material. The three main characters have their roles established within the first 5 minutes of the film; Everett is the brains, Pete is the hothead and Delmar is the dimwit. Each actor plays his character quite well. Clooney impressed me in particular. Everett's words are the medium he uses to weave intricate tapestries of bullshit. He is charismatic and outspoken without being obnoxious.
The movie opens on Everett, Pete and Delmar. Having just escaped from a chain gang (they seem to have been the only white men there) they must make their way to a buried treasure while overcoming obstackles and avoiding The Law (and the Devil.) The other catch is that the treasure is buried in a valley that is due to flooded in 4 days time. On their way they meet a bizarre array of enemies and allies. The Coen brothers always manage to incorporate outlandish characters into their stories. They have an ear for dialogue and an appreciation of odd, slightly off-kilter humor. They do go off on a lot of tangents, most of which are entertaining, some of which don't work for me.
The film takes place in post-depression era 1930s which is beautifully portrayed here. The soundtrack* is an item of note. The film is chock full of music that helps to set the tone and feel of the era. Almost every scene has a track from the album somewhere in it, but it never seems obtrusive. Indeed, the O Brother Where art Thou soundtrack is probably the best film compilation I've ever heard. Indeed, O Brother Where art Thou is smart, fun entertainment. Go watch it.
O Brother, Where art Thou earns 3 and 1/2 Wombats out of 4.
Ethan Coen - Writer/Director
George Clooney - Ulysses Everett McGill
John Turturo - Pete
Tim Blake Nelson - Delmar O'Donnell
John Goodman - Dan Teague
Holly Hunter - Penny
Daniel von Bargen - Sherriff Cooley/The Devil
Michael Badallucco - George "Babyface" Nelson
Stephen Root - Radio Station Man
Charles Durning - Pappy O'Daniel
Chris Thomas King - Tommy Johnson
Turturro, Nelson and Clooney shine in O Brother
The Coen brothers make quality movies. I've liked everything I've seen so far from them, (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Man Who wasn't There) and this film did not disappoint. (I've been told that Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty were duds; I haven't seen them.) Their films have a certain whimsy and tongue in cheek humor about them which make them a joy to watch.
O Brother Where art Thou is based (loosely) upon Homer's "The Odyssey." I've never read it, but the film contains sirens, a cyclops and a blind prophet, all of which I'm sure reference the source material. The three main characters have their roles established within the first 5 minutes of the film; Everett is the brains, Pete is the hothead and Delmar is the dimwit. Each actor plays his character quite well. Clooney impressed me in particular. Everett's words are the medium he uses to weave intricate tapestries of bullshit. He is charismatic and outspoken without being obnoxious.
The movie opens on Everett, Pete and Delmar. Having just escaped from a chain gang (they seem to have been the only white men there) they must make their way to a buried treasure while overcoming obstackles and avoiding The Law (and the Devil.) The other catch is that the treasure is buried in a valley that is due to flooded in 4 days time. On their way they meet a bizarre array of enemies and allies. The Coen brothers always manage to incorporate outlandish characters into their stories. They have an ear for dialogue and an appreciation of odd, slightly off-kilter humor. They do go off on a lot of tangents, most of which are entertaining, some of which don't work for me.
Everett and Pete do battle with the wicked sirens.
The film takes place in post-depression era 1930s which is beautifully portrayed here. The soundtrack* is an item of note. The film is chock full of music that helps to set the tone and feel of the era. Almost every scene has a track from the album somewhere in it, but it never seems obtrusive. Indeed, the O Brother Where art Thou soundtrack is probably the best film compilation I've ever heard. Indeed, O Brother Where art Thou is smart, fun entertainment. Go watch it.
O Brother, Where art Thou earns 3 and 1/2 Wombats out of 4.
*Best Album of the Year: 2001 - 44th Annual GRAMMY Awards
posted by Mr_Nuts at 1:53 AM
4 Comments:
Yeaaah, another review! Sadly, I still have not seen this film. The soundtrack did win a few Grammies.
I believe it won best soundtrack and best album in 2001. I meant to mention that, thanks for reminding me.
You're welcome. The bill is in the mail.
I loved the movie so much i went out and bought the soundtrack the next day. Not my normal type of music but for some reason it is very catchy and well worth listenning to. I find myself singing rambling bob at work on a regular basis.
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