O Brother Where Art Thou Review
by Tim Wick
Sometimes it is really frustrating to live in Minnesota. The Coen Brothers'
O Brother Where Art Thou has been available on the coasts for a few weeks
but we have only just gotten our first look at it. Traffic was just
released and we have to wait until next week to see the universally loved
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I'm not saying we haven't had the option
of watching some decent movies (go watch The Emperors New Groove) but I
hate waiting for films I've been anxiously watching for since the middle of
the year.
How can you go wrong with an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey written by
the Coen Brothers and starring George Clooney? If you read Entertainment
Weekly you
would get the impression that it's pretty easy. Owen Glieberman picked this
as the worst film of the year. Knowing what esteem I hold for his colleague
Lisa Schwartzbottom (I think she's a pompous movie hater who seems more
concerned with a clever turn of phrase than she does with enjoying a film
for it's own sake), you might guess that I have similar feelings for
Glieberman.
On the other hand, Harry Knowles of Ain't it Cool News placed this film in
his top 15 for the year. Harry loves movies
and loves way more movies than he hates. Still, he tends to place pretty
strong films in his year end list and I end up agreeing with most of them
(my #1 pick of 1999 was Magnolia, he placed it #2 behind Toy Story 2 -
which also made my list).
For the record, both of these guys see close to every film released in a
calendar year. Usually they see them months in advance of the rest of us.
I have seen a measly fifty Y2K releases so far and probably will top out
around fifty five before I do my top ten list (depending on how many I can
rent in the next month).
Still, I think I land firmly in the Knowles camp on this one. O Brother
Where Art Thou is campy fun that kept me laughing only slightly less than
The Emperors New Groove (go watch The Emperors New Groove).
For you fans of The Odyssey, let me remind you the film is "based on" the
book. You will recognize some characters and situations from the book to be
sure. But this movie is about three escaped convicts in Mississippi, not a
triumphant hero returning from the Trojan war. If you are expecting a trip
to Hades to talk to the slain Agamemnon, you may be in for a bit of a let
down.
But despite it's "hick" setting, the film is startlingly epic in nature.
Essentially what you are watching is a road movie as our convicts try to
find a stash of money from a bank job before the law catches up with them.
Along the way they encounter hardships and windfalls but they always seem to
end up being chased by the law before they can enjoy their gain or mourn
their loss. Every step that is meant to get them closer to home seems to
draw them further away. Through it all, the Coen's gift for verbal humor
keeps the film going even as the characters are stuck.
I'm not going to lie and say that I hate George Clooney. I even think he
would have made a great Batman in a movie that wasn't written by Akiva
Goldsman and directed by Joel Schumaker. But the last two films I've seen
him in have been great showcases of his versatility. In Three Kings he
was smart, compassionate and tough. In O Brother he is dirty, wordy and
only bright when compared to his travelling companions. He is reminiscent
of Clark Gable in all the right ways, managing to be charming through a cake
of sweat and dirt. You liked his character in spite of everything.
He was supported by Coen Regular John Turturro and comparative newcomer Tim
Blake Nelson. Both are none too bright convicts who would not even be with
Clooney had he found a way to cut their chains before he ran. The three of
them form something of a stooge act, but not in an annoying way (I hate the
Three Stooges - let's must make that very clear).
The cinematography sets a very strong mood. The movie feels hot and
oppressive throughout, with the only moments of freedom coming at night as
our hero's gather around the camp fire. As long as our boys are running,
the world is drab. When they find freedom, even for a few moments, the
world becomes real again.
This film is not for everyone. The narrative is a bit tough to follow and
the humor can be obscure or just plain weird at times. However, if you are
a Coen brothers fan, the film does not disappoint. Make some time to see
it.
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