Rating: 
Summary: Gopher, Everett?
Review: And to think, the Coen bros. never even read "The Odyssey"! Typically smart, funny dialogue and a unique cast of characters make this a must-buy for fans of the bros. Coen. Joel and Ethan bleach most of the color out of the images, creating a stark, dusty, "antique" feel to the film that really adds a sense of the period it takes place in. I think the best improvement that was made on this DVD was the inclusion of additional material. A good "making of" featurette, and two other really neat items, one being the digital coloring process, the other, a slick storyboard/live action function that allows you to watch two scenes AND the storyboards they're based on at the same time. If you've got the capacity for abstract thinking, buy this! Otherwise you might find yourself in a tight spot.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated and...Overrated
Review: I enjoy the Coen Brothers; I even own The Big Lebowski on DVD. But this movie did absolutely NOTHING for me. I may have laughed once...may have. All of the actors were very good, Clooney excelled and Blake's facial expressions were precious, but the movie did not pull the me in. I wanted to like it and tried to do so. This movie just does not tell the story effectively. If it did, I would have cared when one of the characters was getting whipped. I should have been impressed with the ending catastrophe, but wasn't. And John Goodman's appearance is an insult to his talent. If you like Coen Brothers movie generally, take my advice and skip this one. You won't be missing a thing.
Rating: 
Summary: awesome!
Review: My husband and I were surprised by how very much we enjoyed this movie - all aspects of it! It's a MUST-SEE! :-)
Rating: 
Summary: It Should Be Called "Oh, Brother, Where Art My 4 Bucks?"
Review: Whenever I read a review of a movie written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, I invariably see the words "original" and "quirky" in the description of the film. But after renting and watching "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", I am coming to the conclusion that "original" and "quirky" does not necessarily make a great film.I wanted to enjoy "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" and I did think that the cinematography was excellent and the old-time songs were terrific, but this movie is harmed by too many long, drawn out scenes that do little to advance the plot. I cite as examples the three convicts meeting the three women at the lake/river, the entire governor election subplot and the George "Babyface" Nelson sequence. These scenes contain actors I enjoy watching (Charles Durning and Michael Badalucco from "The Practice"), but they do little to move the story along and I wondered if they were included just to make sure this movie was a reasonable length for a Coen movie (because without them, the movie would be about an hour long). I think that the three convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson) each have their moments, but there just isn't enough meat in the story to make their performances that interesting in general. I will say that Clooney makes a great slimy character. The Coen brothers have become established enough that just about anything they do will garner praise from the critics. In some movies, like "Fargo" and "Raising Arizona", the praise is well-deserved, but in others, like "The Big Lebowski" and "The Hudsucker Proxy", it isn't. I have to put this movie with the latter category. Better luck next time, Joel and Ethan.
Rating:
Summary: Stupid! What was funny? A waste of film!
Review: One of the worst if not most boring movies I have ever seen. I think anyone with some degree of intelligence will find this YAWWWWWNNNN! My 5 year old could write a better screenplay!
Rating:
Summary: All smiles!!
Review: As this was my first Coen Brothers film, I really had no idea what to expect when I first saw this film. I just recalled from the theater trailers that it looked funny and thought it deserved a chance. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I can't recall the last time I had so much fun watching a movie. The humor, the acting, the music - it all blended together to deliver a truly wonderful experience. This one is a keeper!!
Rating:
Summary: No Constant Sorrow Here!
Review: "I am the man of constant sorrow!" Well, there will be no sorrow after sitting through this giddy and joyous Coen Brothers romp. Simply a throughly enjoyable film that will put a smile on your face and have you singing in the aisles.
Rating:
Summary: One of 2000's (and the Coen brothers') best....
Review: Just how it is that hollow and boringly common films like Chocolat and Erin Brockovich got nods for Best Picture over this terrific little film is beyond me. What a memorable and gorgeous motion picture this is! The stars of 'O Brother' aren't George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson. Nor are they even Joel and Ethan Coen, the masterminds behind the project. Indeed, the real stars of this film are the music and the cinematography with a supporting effort by the script. All three are so masterfully crafted that they actually accomplish overtaking outstanding performances by the entire cast and become the stars of the film. Roger Deakins, the genius behind such other aesthetically beautiful films as 'The Shawshank Redemption', 'Kundun', 'The Secret Garden', and several other Coen brothers films, really brings the Depression-era South to life with very dusty earthtones and deep, sun-drenched oranges and yellows. Deakins' visuals in 'O Brother' are so textured and real that I swear I felt myself sweating along with the chain-gang workers as they sang their worksongs. The legendary T-Bone Burnett oversaw the marvelous music in the film. By mixing some actual country-blues hits from the era (such as "You Are My Sunshine", "A Man of Constant Sorrow", and "Big Rock Candy Mountain"), Burnett provides the Coens' and Deakins a firm and beliveable canvas on which to paint. As astounding as the visual aspects of 'O Brother' are, the grandeur of the film really rests more on the aural landscaping. The filmmakers obviously spent a lot of time and money on the music and this effort pays off in big, big ways. The writing is classic Coen. They (purposely) exaggerate the local dialect (much like they did in Fargo, Raising Arizona, and others) and don't have to rely on cheap sight gags or crude jokes to get laughs. 'O Brother's' laughs aren't bellylaughs, mind you. Instead, they accomplish subtle humor through the sheer determination - not to mention incompetence, innocence, improbable success, and all-around lovebility - of the Clooney character and his numbskull accomplices. Of course, the story is loosely based on Homer's "The Odyssey" and the Coens are properly respectful of the epic. Anybody familiar with that poem will immediately recognize many of the characters and incidents. And the plotline requires some significant payment of attention - much like Homer's work does. However, the Coens raise the stakes of fun and spice up the story by using real-life (or near real-life) characters from the Depression: Babyface Nelson, Robert (aka Tommy) Johnson, Pappy O'Daniel, etal. This film probably isn't so much for the weekend-night-out types as it is for fans of classic literature, early 20th century American history and music buffs, and students or admirers of art-house cinema (though it certainly was something of a mainstream hit). I think this explains why there seems to be so much dissension in the reviews here. Viewers seemingly either loved 'O Brother' or hated it. Frankly, I think the music and cinematography alone are enough to deserve a look-see. Even if they don't know "The Odyssey" or care very much for the typical art-house film, I think most moviegoers will find something about this gem to love. I imagine the respect and value of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' will go markedly up over time. It's just too special a film to have garnered the relatively small amount of attention and love it has.
Rating:
Summary: What other movie?
Review: I saw this with my 16-year old daughter, and we laughed together at the same parts. What other movies are around where a father and child can do that? She really appreciated the language usage, and loved the music. I was knocked out by the humor, and was greatful that she could relate. If you only buy one DVD, this is the one!
Rating:
Summary: one of my new all time favorite's
Review: Scanning the reviews here everyone seems to agree that this is vintage cohen brother's and one of last years best films. I had the misforutne of living in a small rural area that did not get this movie when it was released so i missed out on one of the best movie's since fargo. So I bought the dvd a few days ago and waited untill today to watch it. I have watched it twice already in the last 7 hour's and will watch it many more time in the week's to come, People this is not a dvd that will sit on your shelf and gather dust like so many other's, it is a must buy. as for the person who said it was boring maybe they need rewatch scary movie or americian pie, maybe that would better suit thier intelect. The only thing I don't care a lot for is the dvd feature's no commentery or deleted scene's although there is a storyboard to film comparsion of the klan and flood scene's and a short feature on digtal pixalazation as well as the feature's listed above. Let's hope criterion will issue a version of this along with a long overdue fargo and then i will have no compliant's at all.
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