O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU (2000) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Written by - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (based on the epic poem "The Odyssey" by Homer)

Starring - George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman

"HOMER and the great depression come together in a most intelligent and delightfully entertaining way in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU by the COEN BROTHERS. Through this work, they also seem to challenge the works of the great american filmmaker PRESTON STURGES, more so than in their other works, perhaps because of the times in which the film is set. 

O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU chronicles the lives of three men who escape a chain gang at Parchman Farm and set out to retrieve a buried treasure. In the process, they encounter many other colourful individual and get into all sorts of crazy altercations, one of which sees them become a mysterious bluegrass trio accompanied by a ROBERT JOHNSON type bluesman guitarist that becomes an overnight sensation across the States. 

An exciting and intuitive storyline allows the film to seem perceptively impulsive whilst simoultaneously remaining solidly rounded - an excellent blending of modern and more traditional American filmmaking. This is a feeling that drives the film, right down through ROGER DEAKINS' exceptional cinematography which uses colour correction to give the film a wonderful sepia tone that accentuates the film's visual aspect. The music, a vital element in the film's narrative, is excellent to the point of almost being another character in the film.

Of course, the film also works wonderfully because of the characters, all very inspired and very different, interpreted histrionically by the excellent cast that comprises such names as GEORGE CLOONEY, JOHN TURTURRO and BENNY GOODMAN, who clearly have fun playing their outrageous parts."

Comedy, UK/France/USA