O

Rating:
Summary: Worthless piece of gack!
Review: I have no idea what movie the other reviews were talking about, but it certianly can't be the one I saw. "O" is the biggest peice of CRAP released in a long time, and that's saying a lot considering how bad movies have been lately. The acting was mediocre, the adaptation empty and confused, the writting horrific, and really, what was up with the editing and film crew? I lost count of the many pointless and boaring shots of totaly meaningless imagery after a while. Moss? Blury facial closeups of cheering teenagers? Doves? I assume that the director and film crew thought they were taking artistic or creative lisence, but come on!!! Imagery is great when it has meaning, symbolisim, or when it is actually artistic.... but none of that applies in this case. Really, which on-line film school gave these guys thier moviemaking credentials? Reading "Othello" backward would certianly have been more intresting than watching this sorry waste of time. Blech! ...I beg you, don't waste your time either! (Did someone actually write that Julia Stiles was talented?)

Rating:
Summary: will people see this as a positive message?
Review: It is clearly understandable why they put this film off. It was originally going to be released 2(?) years ago, but with the school shooting in Littleton CO, they decided to put it on hold.

The movie is slow going but with a message. I'm not certain though, that the message made it through the movie because at the end of the movie, the kid still wanted to and was looking to fly as high and with the other students. Does that mean that doing and planning what he did, he succeeded or he plans to achieve it because of it? I'm not sure or clear on that.

Hopefully people will get the message that by doing something like this...it doesn't solve anything. And I'm hoping that with the start of school and if kids choose to see this movie that they would get the positive "let's not resort to that" manner than the "that gives me ideals".

The young actors and actresses in the film did a fine job. And I thought they portrayed the situation well.

Rating:
Summary: Bravo! "O" is a powerful Retelling of A Timeless Tragedy
Review: I had the good fortune to see "O" in New York City at the
UrbanWorld Film Festival earlier in the summer. The audience
sent up a rousing ovation of "bravos" at the conclusion of
this stunning and powerful cinematic achievement - the best
updating of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy "Othello" that I
have experienced. As a retired professor of history and a
devotee of drama and literature, I was mesmerized by Tim Blake Nelson's masterful reworking of a great classic as a contemporary
tale of betrayal, ambition, ill-starred love, jealousy, revenge, and heartbreaking denouement in the setting of an American
secondary school. It achieves a level of emotional depth and
power rare in Hollywood movies. The cast features three
popular and gifted young actors who give performances of
transcendent dramatic range and persuasion. I predict that
"O" will be a smash hit and will reinforce the relevance of
Shakespeare's writings and insights into the universal human
condition for old and new generations of moviegoers.

Rating:
Summary: W"O"W!
Review: I just saw an advanced screening of this film, and it is so amazing. The adaptation of the play is a truly thoughful story, and The actors come through brilliantly! There is so much emotion behind all of the betrayals, and it is quite surprising as well. Cheers to Mekhi Pheifer and Josh Hartnett, who mostly before have been seen as happy, good charachters. But this is also a very intense tragedy. It leaves a heavy impact.

Rating:
Summary: +1/2 stars... Well Worth the Wait
Review: I'm sure you've all heard the story -- completed in 1998, this movie's release was delayed due to the Columbine massacre, than again due to the San Diego school shooting earlier this year. Well, it was certainly worth the wait. Tim Blake Nelson's clever, modernized adaptation of Othello is a bit heavy at times, but extremely gripping and believable. The acting is excellent all across, but I was especially impressed with Josh Hartnett who proves (to me, anyways) that he's more than just another pretty face with a set of pouty lips.

Rating:
Summary: Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles
Review: This movie isn't out until August, but as long as it has Julia Stiles in it it is outstanding. She has impressed me as an actress that is making quite a mark in Hollywood. Her presence lights up the screen everytime and keeps your attention as long as your watching. "O" is a remake of "Othello" of course. With the teen age cast and the Shakespear's timeless story, this movie could be as big as "Save the Last Dance." STLD got 90+ million at the box office and "O" looks to pass it. Anyway I highly advise that you check out the few other movies that Ms. Stiles has done, you will be impressed.

Rating:
Summary: An insightful retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello."
Review: "O" sets the tragedy of "Othello" in a modern high school where Odin James, the only black kid in a high school full of rich white kids, has been brought to the school for his skill on the basketball court. He is about to lead his team through the playoffs, and he has recently won the love of a dean's daughter, Desi. However, the coach's angry son Hugo is also on the team. Neglected by his father and overshadowed by Odin, Hugo forms a vicious plan, resulting in a bloody and all too familiar disaster.

The filmmakers pull no punches and opt for a fairly straight adaptation, doing an admirable job of staying true to the Shakespeare's plot and characters while avoiding his language in favor of an entirely original script. Though rap music, guns, drugs, cars, and the basketball court do figure into the story, these modern trappings never overshadow the human drama. Director Tim Blake Nelson lets his camera tell the story in a refreshingly simple manner, refusing the typical gimmickry of modern cinema; and a very solid cast carries the story well. Josh Hartnett as Hugo is perhaps the most outstanding--his angsty Ivy League face, reminiscent of Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, always captures the bitter essence of his character.

Though the film was completed in 1998, the release of "0" was repeatedly delayed due to the rash of high school shootings in the late 1990s. While it is understandable that such incidents of youth violence should make film studios cautious, this is one film which stands apart with a mature and timeless message about hate and the seeds of tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: Jealousy
Review: Modern directors have found a way of connecting great literature to younger audiences by putting recasting the context -- this is not a corruption, for indeed Shakespeare and other literary giants have had their work adapted for the times, and for different times, on stage and screen numerous times. Perhaps the best comparison here is the adaptation of the French 'Dangerous Liaisons' to the modern, urban 'Cruel Intentions'. One of the best places for playing out unbridled passion isn't the corporate boardroom or courtroom or political venue, but the intensely emotional and unrestrained world of teenagers and high school. It is into this context that director Tim Blake Nelson (also known for his acting in 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' and 'Holes') and screenwriter Brad Kaaya updated Shakespeare's play of jealousy and betrayal, Othello.

While Mekhi Phifer is the title player ('O', actually Odin James, the modern Othello), Josh Hartnett in the supporting role of Hugo (Iago) steals the show. Odin is a black basketball player in a private, mostly-white southern prep school, in love with the dean's daughter, and the star of the basketball team, setting up rivalries in the team based both on abilities and racial lines. Hugo is jealous of Odin's popularity, skill and preferential treatment by all, even Hugo's own father, Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen), the basketball coach. Hugo decides to ruin Odin, his jealousy becoming contagious of a sort to influence his roommate Roger, his own girlfriend Emily (Rain Phoenix), Odin's best friend Michael, and finally Odin's girlfriend, the dean's daughter, Desi (Desdimona, played by Julia Stiles).

This is an underappreciated gem. The language is not Shakespearean (so comparisons to the recent diCaprio Romeo + Juliet fail here), but the situations are most assuredly from Shakespeare's story. The ever-increasing layers of manipulation, as situations seem to grow out of control and each seem to take a life of their own, are dizzying and subtle, strong and astonishing.

The direction is slow and steady, as if the very pace of the film shares the slow but deepening growth of Hugo/Iago's dark desires. The styles of the southern prep school, the soundtrack shifting from urban rap to darkening orchestral backing, and the earnest performances of the actors all combine to make this a stunning piece. The ending, both the planning by Hugo, manipulating others into his intentions, as well as the actual ending is surprising but understandable. Human emotions remain constant across the centuries.

There was controversy given the high-school context and violence in this film, and it was shelved for several years, having completed production for release about the time of the Columbine High School shootings. The fears of comparison were overblown, as the situations in this film are very different. Released in 2001 to theatres, it serves as a reminder to modern audiences of how earnest and passionate teen-age emotions can be, and how timeless and universal darker passions such as jealousy can be.

Rating:
Summary: An insightful retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello."
Review: "O" sets the tragedy of "Othello" in a modern high school where Odin James, the only black kid in a high school full of rich white kids, has been brought to the school for his skill on the basketball court. He is about to lead his team through the playoffs, and he has recently won the love of a dean's daughter, Desi. However, the coach's angry son Hugo is also on the team. Neglected by his father and overshadowed by Odin, Hugo forms a vicious plan, resulting in a bloody and all too familiar disaster.

The filmmakers pull no punches and opt for a fairly straight adaptation, doing an admirable job of staying true to the Shakespeare's plot and characters while avoiding his language in favor of an entirely original script. Though rap music, guns, drugs, cars, and the basketball court do figure into the story, these modern trappings never overshadow the human drama. Director Tim Blake Nelson lets his camera tell the story in a refreshingly simple manner, refusing the typical gimmickry of modern cinema; and a very solid cast carries the story well. Josh Hartnett as Hugo is perhaps the most outstanding--his angsty Ivy League face, reminiscent of Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, always captures the bitter essence of his character.

Though the film was completed in 1998, the release of "0" was repeatedly delayed due to the rash of high school shootings in the late 1990s. While it is understandable that such incidents of youth violence should make film studios cautious, this is one film which stands apart with a mature and timeless message about hate and the seeds of tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic and disturbing...
Review: "O" is a brilliantly portrayed update to the classic play "Othello" written by Shakespeare. This movie will make your skin crawl because it can be so chilling. The music at the beginning and ending of the movie both make you feel kind of anxious.

The whole story revolves around three central characters, Hugo (Josh Hartnett), Odin or "O" (Mehki Pfeifer), and Desi (Julia Stiles). Hugo is the self-involved son of the high school's basketball coach. He wants everyone to love him and shower him with the attention that they give to "O". "O" is the high school basketball team's star player and is the coach's favorite on and off the court. Desi is the girlfriend of "O" and the headmaster's daughter.

Hugo is jealous that "O" has the perfect life, and doesn't even act like he really cares. Hugo tries desperately hard to ruin "O"'s life and finally comes up with a scheme to do such a thing--he must ruin the relationship of Desi and "O".

In order to do this, he not only ruins their love lives, but the lives of those around him...and eventually causes the controversial school shooting scenes. Personally, I don't like violence, but the killings in this are done (in some of the cases) rather poetically.

This movie can make you question the consequences of your actions. I'd recommend you check it out.