Review: O Brother Where Art Thou?

By Floater on 2001-01-22 11:01:38

By Dean Pulley (22 Jan. 2001)

O Brother Where Art Thou? Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and Charles Durning.

1937 - Three convicts escape from infamous Mississippi penitentiary Parchman Farm on a quest for treasure.

This movie has done more to point out the disparity between "critic reality" and the appreciation skills of an audience than any film in memory. This gem has it all: A libretto cast from a Homeric armature, incredible acting, pinpoint historic accuracy, perfect costuming, extra cool editing, artful cinematography and a soundtrack that, - well, T Bone Burnett wrote the score and Gillian Welch was the music director, you figure it out. Did Entertainment Weekly really say "Like an extended "Three Stooges" episode featuring an even stupider version of the cast of "Hee Haw."? Poor bankrupt souls. The characters are shockingly accurate to my Mississippi Delta childhood in the early sixties (not a lot changed since 1937). However bizarre they may appear to Northeast seaboard provincial sensibilities, these characters existed in all their extravagant splendor. The Coens once again prove themselves the masters of timing and light. Outstanding character acting abounds, but look for Stephen Root (NewsRadio) as the blind radio station owner and a quick cameo by Gillian Welch. Chris Thomas King (son of Baton Rouge Bluesman Tabby Thomas) does an able turn as Tommy Johnson, a tribute to the original soul selling blues man by the same name. Yes, Robert Johnson was a plagiarist.

As for the principals, who would have thought George Clooney (Ulysses McGill) had this exceptional performance in him? Tim Blake Nelson is an appropriately complex simpleton as Delmar, and what would you expect from John Turturo except perfection as Pete? All you can ask from a film is to transport, entertain, educate and suspend disbelief. Okay, that's a lot to ask, but O Brother, Where Art Thou? delivers, all this and a modicum of magic as well. Wake up, you makers of shoddy cinema - this is how it's DONE! Get thee to the website:
http://studio.go.com/movies/obrother/

You are currently Not Logged in.
Click here to login or sign up

Subject:  

xComment: