Rating: 
Summary: It ALMOST Works
Review: When I saw this I didn't realise it was an adaptation of Othello. Now that I know, it makes a lot more sense. The story has the definite feel of a Shakespearean tragedy. Yes, it is done well. The modern setting is pretty good. The story itself (ignoring the fact that it's based on Shakespeare) is very interesting. It is different from the stories you'd find in most modern films, and the ending is not what you'd expect from something made last year, so it gives the movie a feeling of originality. The only thing that REALLY doesn't work is the killing. Nowadays, killing people is not generally considered a good solution to girlfriend-cheating problems, problems which are also not considered as serious today as they were in this movie. Of course, I suppose some crazy people WOULD kill for this, but it's not very likely and seems like a pretty bad plan. The killing is the only part that works for Shakespeare but doesn't work in a modern setting. Everything else is good, and all in all this was a well-done movie.
Rating: 
Summary: OMG!!!
Review: I LOVE Josh Hartnett, but i have to admit, Pearl Harbor was kinda weak. 'O' lets Josh and Mekhi and Julia SHINE! It was sooooo good. It was portrayed brilliantly and really gave credit to shakespeare for the original Othello. I look forward to reading the book and seeing Josh in 40 days and 40 nights!
Rating: 
Summary: SEE IT FOR SUPERIOR SILENT GERMAN "OTHELLO" ON DISC
Review: Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" set in the world of highschool basketball? That's "O" (Lion's Gate), an interesting experiment that somehow does not quite jell. Mekhi Phifer plays the titular basketball hero, Odin "O" James, Julia Stiles is his steady Desi and Josh Hartnett is the double-dealing Hugo. This two disc set features a modest commentary by director Tim Blake Nelson (the half-wit convict in "O Brother Where Art Thou") and cinematographer Russell Lee Fine, a look at the elements in setting up the basketball scenes and interviews with the stars. But what makes this DVD worth considering is an incredible bonus feature, the extraordinary silent German version of "Othello" starring the electrifying Emil Jannings. This restored, mostly forgotten German expressionist film blows away the contemporary take on this tale of a deadly jealous rage.
Rating: 
Summary: very good revamping of Othello.
Review: When I got the DVD of this movie today, I thought, "Well, let's see how Josh Hartnett does as a villian." I was very surprised at how unlikable and yet sympathetic his Hugo was. Phifer was excellent as Odin and Stiles was good as always as Desi. Not quite a powerful as Oliver Parker's 1995 edition, but O was certainly more relevant after the Columbine shootings (the reason this movie sat on the shelf for 2 years). I really became engrossed with the storyline and found it refreshing to see Hartnett play someone not so nice.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: This is an excellent movie. It is appropriatly done and recreated. The cast is incredible. Yes it is definantly done for older people. I would not recommend it for anyone under 17. It is very intense but that is Shakespeare. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It doesn't slow down through the whole movie. The plot just keeps thickening. It seemed to end a bit quickly, but it is based on the play. Overall it is a great movie and I would recommend it to anyone who can keep an open mind and doesn't mind disturbing parts.
Rating:
Summary: Not Olivier; but for a modern rendition it is a must see!
Review: First, Phifer will never equal Olivier in his portrayal of the charachters in a Shakespeare play. However, he should not feel bad about this; since no one has equalled Olivier and he is therefore in good company. I usually loath modern renditions of plays. However, this movie in question, i.e., O VHS ~ Mekhi Phifer is an exception. The actors do an excellent job and the lines even when changed a bit still have the impact that Shakespeare intended. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Othello? No, Odin.
Review: For starters, if you have seen or read Shakespeare's Othello, then you already know what happens in this film. With that in mind the filmakers have done a good job adapting it into a realistic present day tradgedy. Odin is the star player of his prep school basketball team, he is popular, dates the girl of his dreams, the coach loves him like a son, and colleges are fighting over him. So what is the problem? The coach has a son, Hugo (sound familiar?) that wants his dad to love him like a son. He does everything his father asks yet Odin was still the MVP. All he wants is a little appreciation. Too bad they didn't give it to him. So angry is Hugo that he unleashes the largest double-cross since Iago double-crossed Othello. It is too good to go on. Lets just say for a while it goes as planned. There are several major hang ups with this film that can't be overlooked. Unfortunatly some of them are plot spoilers so it would be wrong to go into them. However, this film does raise an interesting question about society, especially our youth. How long should we let people go before we ask is everything okay? See the film and you will understand. The acting from the young cast is solid and the film looks great. The all rap soundtrack was a little out of place, but it did serve well in some dramatic moments. The story is very solid, but don't forget, Shakepeare really wrote it. And on an additional note, anyone who is affraid this film is in Shakepearian English can relax, it's not. Problems aside, this film is worth a watch. I say read Othello first, but then it will give away the plot. Still the comparison is interesting and the filmmakers did a good job making it contemperary.
Rating:
Summary: Great Update
Review: I teach a high school course on Shakespeare, so I couldn't wait to see this movie. They've taken one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies and made a profound and disturbing update. The movie stays true to the original theme while making it accessible to a modern audience. Even though I knew how the movie had to end because of the play, I kept holding my breath, almost wishing that it would end differently. It was dark and moving and wonderfully done. Although too intense for young viewers, I highly recommend to everyone else.
Rating:
Summary: Really didn't like it
Review: What do you get when you take a brilliant seventeenth century Shakespearian tragedy about a general who driven to a murderous rage by a deceitful underling into believing his new spouse is unfaithful and set it in a private high school in the twenty first century? A very unconvincing, well meaning, but ultimately average movie. I am speaking, of course, about Lions Gate Cinema's O, directed by Tim Blake Nelson. The Shakespeare play is, of course, Othello, and the plot is basically as simple as outlined above. But Shakespeare had a way of bringing out all the drama, pathos, and motivation of his characters and their situation. We could understand what made it possible for Iago (Hugo in the movie) to want to destroy Othello (Odin, or "O"). We understand how Othello could be driven to murder because of his fear that Desdimona (Desi) is being unfaithful to him with Cassio (Michael Cassio) in the movie. It never quite comes together in the movie. The reason it doesn't work in the movie is simple: the translation doesn't work. The fact is that a hot shot basketball star is in no way shape or form comparable to a man who is a general in the battlefield. This is high school, and O and Desi have only been dating for four months. A huge issue in the original play is that Othello is black. Shakespeare really tackles the issue of racism; it's part of Iago's motive. This movie totally glosses over the interracial aspect of the relationship. O seems totally unaware of the fact that he's the only black man on the campus. Everyone likes and accepts him. Hugo's (played by Josh Hartnett, who may as well have been wearing a curled black mustache) problems with him is the fact that his father (played by Martin Sheen, doing his imitation of Bobby Knight on speed) loves O like a son, and O views Michael, not him, as his right hand man (naming him co-MVP at the end of the season). It also does short shrift to issues of bullying, drug abuse and intense competition in the basketball world. If the movie focused more on these issues it might have worked. Instead, it focused on the romantic entanglements of a group of callow, two dimensional teenagers I didn't much care about. I thought some of the performances were excellent, if wasted. Mekhi Phifer and Julia Stiles are revelations. They look to have long futures ahead of them. In fact, it is in part the fact that Phifer and Stiles made their characters seem so intelligent that the movie was so hard to swallow. I just couldn't buy that Odin would fall for Hugo's lies. How does a black guy who has had to bust his hump to get where he is, who must have seen and experienced some racism at some point, not get even slightly suspicious of a white guy who starts slamming his girlfriend and messing with his head just before the state championships? And, I'm sorry, as I said above, O and Desi were dating all of four months. If she's cheating on ya, just break up with her man! I admired how Stiles tried to make Desi modern and intelligent But, she was really hampered by the plot (which is actually typical of Shakespeare plays - women are really important). She can see this guy getting weirded out, she calls him on it, and yet she doesn't just dump his sorry butt. It was ridiculous. The supporting players were great, as well. I totally bought it that Emily (the talented Rain Phoenix), Micheal (a surprisingly effective Andrew Keegan) and Rodger (a heartbreaking fantastic Elden Henson) The best part of the movie was actually the basketball scenes. I was totally wrapped up in the games, even though I knew who would win. And I really liked that the tone of the movie was sufficiently dark, although it did get rather plodding in points. And the symbolism was way too much. This is a top quality entry in the teen movie genre, but when push comes to shove, it takes more than just borrowing the basic plot events to recreate Shakespeare, and that was the filmmaker's goal, they failed.
Rating:
Summary: Great Shakespeare adaptation!
Review: This was one of the best films that I have ever seen! It was powerful and it made you think. It was very dark and disturbing, but had a message that really needs to get out: a message that speaks out about violence and it's consequences. Josh Hartnett gave a great performance as the slimy Hugo, and Mekhi Pfeifer and Julia Stiles gave startling performances also. The musical score and the Southern gothic setting were also a plus. Tim Blake Nelson's direction was perfect, and he definitly deserves an Oscar nomination. Everyone needs to see this haunting film. Trust me, it will stay with you for awhile after it is over.
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