(2000, Dir. Ethan & Joel Coen)
In Short: Three escaped convicts search for treasure in the Depression Era Deep South in this re-imagining of Homer's Odyssey. How did it take me this long to see this movie? (I feel like I say that about a lot of these.) And how is this my first Coen brothers film? These are pressing questions that will not be answered in this review. To address the two most striking features of O Brother Where Art Thou: 1) Color Palette: As the movie begins, the first shot fades from black and white into color--sort of. It's a really muted palette, full of beige, pretty much, and not much else. And my immediate thought was, "Oh boy, this is going to get old fast." But to my surprise, it didn't wind up feeling gimmicky. The limited spectrum of colors helped to create the right tone for the movie. The larger-than-life nature of the characters provided the color, and the scenery did its part being drab. 2) The Music: I know this isn't exactly a fresh take on this movie, but, wow, the soundtrack is awesome. Not only is it awesome, but it works into the story really well. -SPOILERS!- Even though it was kind a little bit deus-ex-machina, I loved that the whole Soggy Bottom Boys plot ended up saving the main characters. It was kind of outlandish but it felt earned, especially with the gubernatorial race subplot. -END SPOILERS!- The music was exactly what this movie needed to push it over the top--in a good way. Not that the setting for any film has to be justified, but in a loose adaptation of classic literature like this, the old school country music was the perfect justification for the 1930s Southern setting. My one and only major gripe about this film overall is that the plot was ALL OVER THE PLACE! I know it's the Odyssey (sort of) but there were so many side stories and characters that it felt a little cluttered. It gave the story the scope of an epic, but it didn't feel quite right. I don't think I really minded it too much while I was watching it, but looking back, some things feel superfluous. (Like the bank robber? what was the payoff there?) A brief note on the actors: This was impeccably cast. George Clooney is charming in typical Clooney fashion, Tim Blake Nelson brings the quirk, and John Turturro is just so GOOD in everything. To wrap this up, I think it's fitting that the title comes from Sullivan's Travels. This is the happy medium between Sullivan's O Brother and the comedy he winds up wanting to make--it depicts human struggle and reality but it does so in a way that's colorful, charming, funny, and hopeful. I enjoyed it a lot.
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AuthorEileen here, writing reviews for film class. Archives
April 2018
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