Rating: 
Summary: It's hilarious
Review: Beautifully photographed, colorful, quirky characters, an infectious soundtrack and George Clooney dancing around in overalls...what more could you ask from a movie? Favorite quote: "Oh George, not the livestock". Funniest scene: When John Goodman as Big Dan gives the boys a "tutorial". Best musical moment: Pappy O' Daniel shaking his tailfeather to "Man of Constant Sorrow". I love this movie. I watch it at least once a week.
Rating: 
Summary: Ever hear of the Great Depression?? Listen closely!
Review: I am a long-time bluegrass fan, with vinyl from the Carter Family and Doc & Merle Watson to Bill Monroe and Chet Atkins, I looked forward to the soundtrack of this film as much as the story, characters, and direction.I am a great fan of John Hartford and was told this is his last project, so I expected to be "wined and dined" by the quality of the sountrack. It wasn't up to par and didn't get me running out to by a CD. But don't stop here -- read on to obtain suggestions for CDs to include in your library. The characters are quirky and the somewhat forgettable, but I enjoyed it while it was on the screen. There were some side-slappin' times and one of the few films that could bring this generation of movie-goers to visit the Great Depression. For that reason alone, I give it three stars. I hope younger folks will turn to their parents or grandparents to learn about their own stories of this unforgettable time in our country's history. Perhpas even the "coolest" of kids will secretly be tapping their toe to a sound that is much of white America's dreams and struggles. **** for the effort to show our humble years in the depression. Hartford himself would have been a great character for this film, but I have since learned of his illness during its' inception. Don't just go away with a cute story in your mind though. Check out "Mark Twang" or "Steam Powered Areoplane" by John Harford (once famous for the song "Gentle on My Mind"); or pay the price for the three disc compilation called "Will The Circle Be Unbroken." You will be surprised to find your roots here, and I dare you not to tap your toes!!!
Rating:
Summary: "I'm not sure that's Pete..."
Review: I'm 66 & I've seen a lot of movies, but I've never watched one as many time as I have this one or been so quick to buy a copy for myself. Everyone I know is singing the songs, from my 92 year old mother to my 3 year old granddaughter. It might actually revive the art of 3-part harmony. Everyone in it looks like he's having the time of his life. I can't look at Tim Blake Nelson w/o laughing, & his singing voice is beguiling. George Clooney is PERFECT, Charles Durning is stupendous, & I think the guy who plays the manager of WEZY & the poor woman who whispers "That's Baby Face Nelson" in the bank deserve a new category of Oscars:"Most Memorable One-minute Performance". I loved the women's shapeless feedsack dresses & faces w/o makeup. I love the baptism procession to "Down in the River to Pray" (best song in the movie). I love the crazy mixed-up chronology w/Pappy O'Daniel (beloved former governor of Texas) & his Lightcrust Doughboys metamorphosed into governor of Mississippi & his Farina band. I loved the many profound commentaries on human nature like Clooney's shortlived religiousity. No one writes comedy dialogue like the Coens. This is a masterpiece of good clean intelligent fun, & that's always been the rarest commodity in the world. My eyes cross when I read the handful of negative reviews of this pure delight of a movie. Who ARE these people?
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This Coen brothers adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is the first film of theirs where I have felt disappointed. It could be because I expect such high quality from them, but I noticed a few points in the film where more could have been done with a scene. Personally, I believe they were hampered by having to follow a strict story path. Being an adaptation does not allow for much in the way of imagination. One much do what one can with what one is given. The weakest points were those with Everett (George Clooney in a terrific comic departure from his normal "cool guy" roles) and Penny (Holly Hunter), the Ulysses/Penelope story. I also felt not enough was done with the Sirens. The performances are top-flight all around, with only Pete (John Turturro) not given much to do. Tim Blake Nelson (director of "O") is a discovery as Delmar and shows he has talent in front of the camera as well. But once the film was over, I didn't feel that it had left me with much to chew on, as the saying goes, except that I was humming "Man of Constant Sorrow" for the rest of the evening.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Masterpiece
Review: "O Brother Where Art Thou" is that rare beast, a film which can be enjoyed on a great many levels and constantly yields new treasures each time it is watched. The plot revolves around the escapades of three depression-era prison escapees (led by George Clooney in a command performance as the born-to-lead Ulysses Everett MacGill) as they attempt to track down the proceeds of a robbery. As with so many quality comedies, however, that is merely the idea which starts the ball rolling. The plot also involves political machinations, love, religion, the Klan and musical interludes - in short, it has everything. Much of the humour is - on the surface - derived from the southern accents of the characters and their ways of dealing with the hardships of the era (with the stew being a good example of this). A secondary source of humour comes from Clooney's attempts at sounding well-educated and his constant observations on what's going on - there's also the requisite catchphrase (in this case "we're in a tight spot") which never fails to get a laugh. "O Brother" also takes some of its cues from slapstick and farce. The climactic scenes as our heroes invade first a Klan rally and then a political banquet clearly give more than a nod to Leslie Nielsen's "Naked Gun" series and indeed any other madcap comedy every made. Even this larger-than-life comedy is essentially character driven, which in my opinion makes it slightly a cut above the average. There is also a third level to this film. Throughout the action, various references are made to Homer's Greek epic "The Odyssey" - ranging from Cyclopses to Sirens. Certainly the viewing experience is enhanced by reviewing the events of Homer's poem before watching, but this is not essential by anyone's way of thinking. As has been said by a great many reviewers before and no doubt will be again, "O Brother" enjoys a strong relationship with its soundtrack. All of the songs and instrumental pieces performed in the film make their way onto the soundtrack in the form in which they appear - with the added fact that "Po Lazarus" (the song of the prisoners at the very beginning of the film) is present as a field recording from the 1950s. The music in the film is vital to the plot, as Clooney and his two friends come across a bluesman (Chris Thomas King) who has sold his soul to the devil, a reference to Robert Johnson. As this young man - Tommy Johnson - puts it "well...I wasn't usin' it". The foursome then record a version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" which becomes a considerable hit. Their appearance - uninvited - at the political banquet on the eve of the gubernatorial election results in the performance both of "In The Jailhouse Now" and a fuller-bodied version of "Constant Sorrow". Of course, listening to either of these songs on the soundtrack in light of the events surrounding them - especially Clooney's reaction to the striking up of "Constant Sorrow" - on the film becomes a much funnier experience. While not to take anything away from the film itself, there are one or two slight problems in watching it. The first is that some of the scenes don't appear to be adquately miked in the earlier sections of the film - especially the scene where the three escapees are eating dinner at the run-down farmhouse. This has the effect of obscuring some of the very clever dialogue of those sections. The second minor problem is that it does not adequately resolve all the issues raised - such as the identity of the police chief and the exact state of Clooney's marriage. This may, of course, be a deliberately vague thing on the Coen brothers' part, either to set the film up for a sequel (which is unlikely, considering both that there was no sequel to "The Odyssey" and that any sequel would almost invariably be not as good as this original) or simply to provoke questions in the minds of the viewers, which it certainly does. Most assuredly, though, this is one of the great films of the 90s and is well worth a viewing by anyone interested in good comedy, entertainment for the intellect or good filmmaking. Congratulations to the Coen brothers on another great success.
Rating:
Summary: Relax!
Review: While seeing this movie, a feeling of relaxation came onto me. We see three men escaping from prison (time setting somewhere around 1920) and start looking for their fortune. This brilliant movie (Joel and Ethan Coen, director and writer brothers, made Blood Simple and other great movies) does not explain much to the viewer, but gives you time to enjoy the adventures of these simple minded guys. And that's where Relax! comes in - there's no need to hurry to the plot because there isn't one. After half an hour I started to suspect that this is the truth, no plot? And shortly after that I realized: no problem because it's just a lot of fun. It is a crazy story, with crazy guys. Beautifully shot, nice performances and great props. There are some people in the movie that have to be as crazy as they appear on screen - I couldn't believe my eyes sometimes.
Have some time off and laugh your socks off with O Brother!
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent comedy
Review: Seeing the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" is an enjoyable experience, if only for the brillant soundtrack. Everyone knows the song "I am a man of constant sorrow", if anything. The visuals are very well done : this is a skillfull movie. It is not just a skillfull movie, but also a witty and intelligent movie. I don't want to sound like a sycophant for saying that, but I really think it is. It has a "happy-go-luck" attitude as to its subject matter. It is, ostensibly, a modern version of The Odyssey, and it does spoof the Odyssey in an intelligent and somewhat credible (but most importantly, funny) manner, but it is much more than that. Some people have said it was just about laughing at rednecks, but I would say that's only the first level. The two themes I see as most important in that movie are its spoofing of the Odyssey, and skepticism/freethought (especially about religion), as exemplified by the main character. This movie is definitively enjoyable. It was nominated for two Oscars, but is evidently too much of an intelligent movie to have actually gotten any. If you are smarter than an Oscar judge, you will love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: It's Mythology.
Review: It's MYTHOLOGY....and that's what makes it work so well. A "road" picture to end them all....a visually alluring, dreamlike journey that manages to evoke the fantasy feeling of
the epic legends and myths of the past, told in a distinctively quirky, off-beat style. Wonderful music throughout. A one-of-a-kind film experience --totally unique. I haven't read all of the 460 Amazon customer reviews, but has anyone mentioned the obvious homage to the "Wizard of Oz" in the KKK rally scene? Both films have their 3 heroes perched above
a scene filled with militaristic marching troops (who, in the "Wizard", were chanting the dreaded "Oh-ee-oh" tune!), and plotting to resuce someone by disguising themselves and infiltrating the march. It's delightful, hilarious, and thrilling, as is the rest of this film. But as you watch, remember.....it's a fantasy. a dream.....it's Mythology.
Rating:
Summary: a modern classic
Review: What the Coen brothers have created here is a film that is going to last. It quickly made it into my list of top ten movies. It's the Depression-era story of three escaped convicts and their journey to redemption. And along the way they face many trials and tribulations. It's no wonder the story is such a good one, since the film is based on Homer's classic poem, The Odyssey (which the Coen brothers claim to never have read. I don't know that I believe them, but I suppose they could have read the Cliff's Notes). George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson do a fabulous job as the leads. And John Goodman and Holly Hunter have wonderful supporting roles. The music in this film takes on the aspect of a character. And while I wouldn't call this a musical, song occurs and affects what is going on--and it occurs in the logical places instead of the characters just breaking into song whenever. In fact, I think the soundtrack made a bigger splash than the film (but give it time, I think that people will begin to realize the importance of this film soon enough). Color and the visual style of the film also takes on the aspects of being its own character. I know that the entire film was put through a digital workshop in order to give it the visual feel the Coen brothers wanted. This movie is destined to be one of the all time greats. Unfortunately the dvd doesn't contain a commentary by the Coens or the stars. It is a shame, because I think a Coen commentary would have helped to round out this dvd perfectly. There is a behind the scenes featurette and a featurette that discusses the post-production digital process, both of which are good. There is a menu option that allows you to compare the storyboard with the completed scene (of the Klan scene and the final scene). And finally there is the "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" music video that helps to complete the dvd. It's a charming video. This is a film I've already seen a dozen times and will continue to watch as time goes on.
Rating:
Summary: Rosemary's nephew didn't get the singing gene
Review: George Clooney can't sing like his aunt Rosemary, (it's dubbed,) but he does a fine job of acting in this Coen Brothers Cool Hand Luke-meets-Homer Odyssey during The Depression of the 1930s. It's a hoot! There are uniquely Coen touches. A gubernatorial challenger named Homer Stokes. A bipolar bank robber.
Tommy Johnson, who has sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for the ability to play, really play, that guitar. (When last I encountered this dude, his name was Robert Johnson and he was on the Rez in Sherman Alexie's *Reservation Blues.* ) There's an Oz-like Witch's Guards Ku Klux Klan meeting - in which the Klanners also execute football halftime marching band formations. Where art Frances McDormand? Holly Hunter is not convincing - Why would ANYONE grovel back to her shrew-like protrayal? (except that she is the Mother of his children.) The "stone-washed" quality of the film is aprospos the Depression era. The soundtrack is divine and the movie is quaintly quirky.
| 
