O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2002)

I think in about every five years, one film will come our way that would go on to be immortal in the annals of film history. O Brother is one of those films.

From start to end, I was fervently engaged in this story as it unravels against the Depression era background with almost melodic pacing. In fact, some have described this film as half belonging to the musical genre. Trust the Coen brothers to come up with a film of such rich contextual detail! But even if you're not familiar with or don't enjoy the works of Joel and Ethan like Fargo, The Big Liebowski and The Man Who Wasn't There, this film will surely mark the turning of the tide because it has the widest appeal. Not only is it entirely wholesome and suitable for the family (and this would usually lead to genre restrictions), it would entertain everyone from the nerdiest schoolkid or the most pious nun to the maddest drunken superbiker or disillusioned goth. It's difficult not to enjoy this film because it's first and foremost, hilariously funny and the story-telling is charmingly simple without being boring or obnoxious.

Inventive narrative, perfect cast, clever script, appropriate special effects -the list runs endless. To add to this already embarrassing array of delights, it also boasts a bluegrass country soundtrack which went on to record greater successes than the film itself! When I first watched this film years ago, it prompted me to buy the soundtrack, the spinoff of the soundtrack and even the composer's score in a musical notation book. I really don't know how to write this review without being partisan but I must imagine that you have to be from a really segregated section of society not to love this film.

SYNOPSIS: On the sunny side of Mississippi in the 30s some time before man got sick with the more ambitious elaborate desires, lived a smooth-talking petty criminal by the name of Everett Ulysses McGill who bust out of prison to stop his re-marrying wife, bringing with him the two less-than-perfect personalities of Delmar the dimwitted kind man and Pete the disturbed passionate man. The chain-gang trio would go on to experience an epic of an adventure, encountering along the way such colourful characters like Big Dan Teague the corrupt bible salesman, Tommy Johnson the black kid who sold his soul to the devil, Babyface Nelson the bank robber, a nameless blind prophet on the railroad, and the two competing policitians of a Klu Klux Klan leader and an angry opportunist baking flour-endorsing fat man. Everett has lied to his party about a hidden treasure in order to get them in on the jailbreak but as the blind prophet said, "You will find that treasure although it is not the treasure you seek." O I'm so tempted to say more but I don't want to ruin it for you!

CAST: O where should I start? Well, as a re-telling of Homer's Odyssey the movie has to have necessarily varied and colourful characters. First let's just put it to rest here that Clooney definitely has great talent because I never thought the man was more than a James Bond sort of actor with a pretty face and not much else. Impressive versatility and depth of acting is displayed here as he talked himself into and out of trouble with equal ease. You have to love Tim Blake Nelson because Delmar was such an important character with his unassuming simpleton ways of saying "I have to get the family farm back", his character dwelling on honest aims in life ahead of more indulgent concerns like women and money. I really enjoyed John Turturro's deranged character because I think he got the best lines and by Dapper Dan pomade does he say them ever so well! Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Charles Durning and Wayne Duvall all feature in this film and I can assure you that there is nobody on the cast who delivered a performance short of resounding satisfaction.

MOST MEMORABLE LINE:
Pete: Well I'm votin' fer yours truly!
Everett: Well I'm votin' fer yours truly too!
Delmar: Ummm, well.. I'm with you fellas.

BEST SCENE: The final showdown on the stage where all the loose ends are tied up, culminating in a truly satisfying ending. Hard work paid off, good triumphs over evil, man wins back his wife all too predictably somewhat but the manner by which it is told is always refreshing and never cliched. Not to mention they sang THAT song again.

DVD EXTRAS: Now this could be one of the drawbacks of the DVD. Unless you're already acquainted with this movie and share with me a special affinity with country music, I'd say the TV spots, cast interviews, storyboard and production featurette would prove to be only peripheral. The fan would get this double-disc special edition because it has one good segment about all the artistes involved on the soundtrack and a general documentary on bluegrass music. Concert snippets are shown but there's nothing much special here other than a full video of "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow". I think that the price of this and the normal one disc DVD is not significantly different on eBay now, and taking for granted that you're going to love this film, you should just get the double-disc altogether.

IMDB RATING: 8.1/10

MY RATING: 10/10 (Only four films of the tens of thousands I've watched got this)

VERDICT: You would have missed one of the most well-made movies ever if you didn't see this. I promise you 103 minutes of visual richness, unforgettable dialogue, brilliant story-telling and strikingly coherent music. Now go on and buy this DVD before "them sirens love you up and turn you into a horny toad".

ciao.
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Word Of The Wolf today is apogee \AP-uh-jee\,

noun:
1. The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth.
2. The farthest or highest point; culmination.

"Delmar told Tommy in what must be the apogee of his apocalyptic dimwittedness that he was a bad man up until the day before when he got baptised and thought he was no longer a wanted criminal."

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Apogee is derived from Greek apogaion, from apogaios, "situated (far) away from the earth," from apo-, "away from" + gaia, "earth."