...
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
The Coen brothers got their inspiration in Homer's "Odyssey" and throughout the movie we encounter elements that are common to the mythological story.
| Released: | 2000 |
| Running Time: | 106 minutes |
| Cast: | George
Clooney .... Everett John Turturro .... Pete Tim Blake Nelson .... Delmar John Goodman .... Big Dan Teague Holly Hunter .... Penny Charles Durning .... Pappy O'Daniel |
| Writers: | Homer (epic poem The
Odessy) Joel Coen Ethan Coen |
| Director: | Joel Coen
Ethan Coen |
| My Rating | ***1/2 |
If there's
one thing the Coen brothers do in order to achieve success, it's to not
take anything too seriously. You might wonder "Is that working?" Just wait and
see "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and you tell me!
When in 2000 word got out that Joel and Ethan Coen were planning to release a musical comedy based on Homer's "Odyssey" everybody in Hollywood raised their eyebrows. Nevertheless, when the movie actually got out, everybody was impressed.
O Brother's plot is quite simple and it involves three escaped convicts: Ulysses (played by Clooney), a self-appointed leader who promises his partners they share of the money he has stashed (not less than $1.2 million); Pete (John Turturo), an argumentative and aggravated convict; and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) who diligently plays the role of the sweet idiot of the movie. The action takes place in the '30s somewhere in Mississippi. Throughout the film, the three meet all kind of strange people and always manage to be one step ahead of the police.
Their
adventures make our three heroes become musical sensations as The Soggy Bottom
Boys. It's with this occasion that the Coen brothers treat an element with great
respect. I'm referring to music, especially American music like country and
blues. Together with music fans, composer T Bone Burnett has selected 20 of the
most appreciated examples and had them recorded by contemporary musicians among
which Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch or Ralph Stanley. The result of many hours of
hard work in the recording studios is that the music in the movie has become
more than a pleasant background. Due to so many collaborations, it represents a
living presence.
The Coen brothers got their inspiration in Homer's "Odyssey" and throughout the movie we encounter elements that are common to the mythological story. For instance, in their journey, the three heroes meet various symbolic characters which resemble the creatures of the myth. They come across the one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman) who, of course, embodies the Cyclops; they also meet a trio of honey-tongues sirens (the three singers: Krauss, Harris and Welch).
The actors
that play in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" are all one of a kind. The main
character, Ulysses Everett McGill, is played by George Clooney whose charm does
the thing for him, as always. You'd be surprised to see him wearing a moustache
(he does look like Clark Gable!) and delivering a blasting performance. If
you're not convinced you should see the movie, then have in mind that Clooney
will sing. There's something you don't want to miss! John Turturo and Tim Blake
Nelson complete the team of convicts. The cast also includes Goodman and Holly
Hunter, the latter playing the mother of Ulysses seven daughters (seven, like in
the story).
Like any other movie, this one also attracted critics. But then again, which one doesn't? I see it as a simple comedy which was definitely strengthened by the Coens' filmmaking skills. I have appreciated the great idea of using music to elevate the quality of the movie, and the story itself made me feel good when watching it. It doesn't happen often to see Clooney singing from under his moustache! Overall, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" has an optimistic tone, representing a refreshing breath of air in a generally stagnant arena of typical comedies.
