O

Rating:
Summary: Well-worth the wait!
Review: "O" is a film directed by Tim Blake Nelson which is based on the William Shakspeare play, "Othello". Set in a modern-day high school setting, this film is about Odin James (Mekhi Phifer - I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER), the only black kid in a high school full of white rich students. He was accepted into the school to help the basketball team with his basketball skills. He ends up winning over the dean's daughter, Desi Brable (Julia Stiles - SAVE THE LAST DANCE). Then the coach's son, Hugo Goulding (Josh Harttnet - PEARL HARBOR), becomes jealous of Odin because he used to be the star of the basketball team and get all the attention from his father until Odin showed up. Now Hugo comes up with an evil, bloody plan for revenge that will shock the school with tragedy.

This film was completed in 1998. But due to the recent high school shooting masscarre, it kept getting delayed. But it was definitely worth the wait! Beautifully filmed, gifted, talented young actors, and an original, cleavor script, this will be an excellent adaptation of the play, "Othello". (And hey, when you ask for tickets at the theaters it won't even be a very difficult name to pronounce!) It will probably be a major box-office hit, too. I definitely recommend this drama to anybody! Go see it August 31st (I know I will eventually see it in the theaters), and I know you will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: "O", the modern remake of Shakespeare's "Othello"
Review: From the eyes of a teenager, this movie was quite good. After the Columbine and Thurston school shootings, this movie seems much more believable.

It takes place in an upper-crust college prep school, and revolves around the high school basketball team. Odin, known as O (Mekhi Phifer) is the team's star and only African American student in the high school. He's adored by all, to the point where the coach (Martin Sheen) publicly announces that he loves Odin like his own son, who's Hugo another player on the team. Hugo (Josh Hartnett)is sick of never having his time to shine - always having to watch O in the limelight. He plots to destroy O with the help of his picked upon roommate Roger, by making it look as if Desi (Julia Stiles) is cheating on O. He sadly falls for the manipulative lie, which leads to a downward spiral of negative effects that all come together to cause the traumatic ending.

I was impressed by how they turned Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" into an modern version without completely wreaking it. Odin truly was a tragic hero - as he began as person who was honored, kind, talented, etc, but because of an innate flaw (his being jealously) that dictated his life, lead to ruin.

I only have a few complaints on this movie. One of which is the excessive amount of cuss words that I believe the movie could have gone without. I understand that slang and foul language is needed to make it feel modern, yet it's not needed in such large amounts to get the point across. Another complaint, was that most of the movie was in whispers (except any cuss words, those were yelled) which can also be understandable as "O" is a dark movie not a happy teen flick. . .but it would have been nice to watch the movie without having to keep adjusting the volume.

Overall I enjoyed this modern remake of "Othello", the acting of the main characters were above what I had expected, (bravo to the handsome Josh Hartnett who played the dark and conniving Hugo to a tee & Mekhi Phifer who convincingly portrayed Odin), and sadly in today's society this movie doesn't take too much of an imagination to believe.

Rating:
Summary: Heart stopping and intense
Review: "o" was an exceptional movie. I have never been much for drama but I descided to see it anyway. Josh hartnett's ( Black hawk down, 40 days and 40 nights) performance was breakthough. It really showed how talented he is. Mekhi Phifer (Honey, 8 mile) and Julia Stiles { Save the last dance, 10 things I hate about you) shared alot of depth and chemistry in this film. Tim Nelson did a great job foccusing on Josh Hartnett and Mekhi Phifer's strange relationship together. This move was very intense and full of twists and turns. The cast was nearly perfect. I beleive every actor play there part exactly as was scripted plus added edgy touches and breakthrough perfomances. If you are easily frusterated with drama movies I do not reccomend this movie. But if you enjoy intensity and drama this move is a definate for you.

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and Well-Done
Review: Tim Blake Nelson's retelling of Shakespeare's Othello is an intelligent and thought provoking film. He does an excellent job of showing how one jealous man can destroy many people. Mekhi Phifer is Odin James (called "O") - the only black kid at an all white private school. He's the star basketball player, going out with the dean's beatiful daughter, Desi (played wonderfully by Julia Stiles), and everyone loves him. Josh Hartnett stole the entire show as Hugo Goulding, the son of the basketball coach (Martin Sheen), who is ignored by his father, which provokes his manipulative plans. Sick of being on the sidelines all the time, Hugo devises a plan that will break up O and Desi and will eventually make O go over the edge with rage. With the help of his roommate, Roger, and his un-suspecting girlfriend, Emily (Rain Phoenix) - who is Desi's best friend, Hugo destroys everything. O's best friend, Michael (Andrew Keegan) also becomes innocently involved in Hugo's sinister plans. With beautiful direction and thought, "O" is a well-paced drama that leaves you thinking hard about violence and jealousy. What makes Hartnett so good as Hugo is the fact he is able to make audiences feel sorry for him even as he is ruining lives of innocent people. Its tragic end is terrific. Go see "O": it is worth it! Although keep young kids away from it due to the various elements of the plot.

Rating:
Summary: Well-worth the wait!
Review: "O" is a film directed by Tim Blake Nelson which is based on the William Shakspeare play, "Othello". Set in a modern-day high school setting, this film is about Odin James (Mekhi Phifer - I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER), the only black kid in a high school full of white rich students. He was accepted into the school to help the basketball team with his basketball skills. He ends up winning over the dean's daughter, Desi Brable (Julia Stiles - SAVE THE LAST DANCE). Then the coach's son, Hugo Goulding (Josh Harttnet - PEARL HARBOR), becomes jealous of Odin because he used to be the star of the basketball team and get all the attention from his father until Odin showed up. Now Hugo comes up with an evil, bloody plan for revenge that will shock the school with tragedy.

This film was completed in 1998. But due to the recent high school shooting masscarre, it kept getting delayed. But it was definitely worth the wait! Beautifully filmed, gifted, talented young actors, and an original, cleavor script, this will be an excellent adaptation of the play, "Othello". (And hey, when you ask for tickets at the theaters it won't even be a very difficult name to pronounce!) It will probably be a major box-office hit, too. I definitely recommend this drama to anybody! Go see it August 31st (I know I will eventually see it in the theaters), and I know you will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Heart stopping and intense
Review: "o" was an exceptional movie. I have never been much for drama but I descided to see it anyway. Josh hartnett's ( Black hawk down, 40 days and 40 nights) performance was breakthough. It really showed how talented he is. Mekhi Phifer (Honey, 8 mile) and Julia Stiles { Save the last dance, 10 things I hate about you) shared alot of depth and chemistry in this film. Tim Nelson did a great job foccusing on Josh Hartnett and Mekhi Phifer's strange relationship together. This move was very intense and full of twists and turns. The cast was nearly perfect. I beleive every actor play there part exactly as was scripted plus added edgy touches and breakthrough perfomances. If you are easily frusterated with drama movies I do not reccomend this movie. But if you enjoy intensity and drama this move is a definate for you.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliance!
Review: Kids love abbreviations. That's probably why the masterminds behind the teen movie extravaganza based on Shakespeare's "Othello" decided to rename it "O." Why try to keep a young audience interested for those five extra letters, whatever their symbolic value might be. Symbolism? That is so four centuries ago!
If the improvements over Shakespeare's work had stopped there, though, one might wonder what the point of creating this film might be. Fortunately, the overhaul is exhaustive. For one thing, Othello, who is now named Odin without explanation, no longer fights in an army, but plays on a basketball team. After all, are athletes not our modern gladiators? GENIUS! Also, the scribes behind this screen adaptation took note of the fact that very few modern youths would become engaged at the ripe young age of 17, at which Desi (Desdemona's new moniker) and Odin (Othello's name... for whatever reason) are currently residing. As such, Odin states that he doesn't "want to run off to Vegas or nothing(sic)," but that maybe they can "pretend for awhile," as he slips a rubber band onto his love's ring finger. Few could argue that screenwriter Brad Kaaya has anything less than a subtle, genius handle on translating this timeless tale... for our times.
Sit down. Breathe deeply. There's little doubt that your heart is practically beating out of your chest with excitement over these downright incredible advancements over Shakespeare's "first draft" of "O," but you haven't heard the best of them yet, and it would be a shame for you to drop dead from gleeful shock before even having the chance to view this masterpiece. As such, let us fearlessly move on to how Kaaya dealt with "the Michael Cassio Problem."
It hardly needs explanation, but in case you're simply clueless, allow me to reveal exactly what this conundrum constitutes: you see, my dear reader, it's common knowledge that the modern American teenager couldn't possibly care less about his or her reputation. Popularity is a secondary concern. Nothing shames them. They don't spend hours worrying about what others think of them. This is a thing of the past. Alas, though, Michael Cassio, an important character in "Othello," does worry very much about his reputation... fortunately, this script is in the hands of pros, and they serve up a solution that is more than plausible, and in fact speaks volumes about the generation gap. "Dude," worries Michael to Hugo (Iago), "My parents are going to kill me... they're always talking about reputation." Of course! He's worried about what his parents think. I wish I'd thought of that. Hugo, then, tells him to "play by [his] own rules," and not worry what his parents think. I'm sure that's an improvement over whatever Iago might have said in the original play.
Anyone with a head on his or her shoulders would prefer this film version of "Othello" to the script cranked out by Shakespeare. It's more visually stimulating, has a younger cast, is shorter, and avoids Shakespeare's fancypants showoffy writing in favor of good old plain English. How refreshing!

Rating:
Summary: A great adaptation
Review: I'd never heard of O previously, and I couldn't find it anywhere to buy on DVD. I was hoping and expecting for another 10 Things I Hate About You - and was pleasantly surprised when I watched it, and discovered that it's rawer, sexier and more violent than 10 Things I Hate About You.

Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile) stars as the originally nicknamed "O" and is the only black guy in a private school (which reminded me of Cruel Intentions), who is the star basketball player. He is going out with Julia Stiles, Desi, and his best friends are Andrew Keegan, and Josh Hartnett. Things start to go wrong when Hugo's (Josh) father (the head of the school) publicly announces that he sees Odin as a son to him - thus upsetting his own son. Jealous of O, and making a promise to his best friend, Hugo starts to sow the seeds of doubt when it comes to O and Desi, setting off a chain of events, which end tragically.

There are some very strong performances from all the actors in this, and the film also deals with the drugs, which O also ends up involved in, showing his downward spiral, after falling out with Desi. Previously, it was only Hugo that took drugs - including a scene that will make you wince when he gets injected into a vein into his stomach.

If you think you recognise some of the supporting actors, then you'd be right. Rain Phoenix shows she can act as well as her brother, although she's a very underrated actor in this. Elden Henson previously starred in She's All That, and Andrew Keegan starred in 10 Things I Hate About You, so in O, he is reunited with his "enemy" in that, Julia Stiles.

I won't ruin the ending for anyone, but it's very dramatic, and has undertones of Romeo & Juliet at the same time. It's also a very surprising ending, as everyone's lives completely unravel, and I was left with tears in my eyes at the end.

The extras are quite good. You get a few trailers for other Lions Gate Films (none of which look very interesting); cast & crew interviews (consisting of Julia Stiles, Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett, and the director, Tim Blake Nelson); deleted scenes; and comprehensive analysis of key basketball scenes (very boring, and also the sound mix is dreadful, and you can barely hear the guys making the commentary). Also, which is quite surprising, you get the newly restored classic film "Othello" (from 1922, so I won't be watching THAT anytime soon)

There's an underlying message in this movie - everyone has their flaws, and they can either make them great, or lead to their downfall.

A great movie if you're a fan of Julia Stiles, any of the modern day versions of Shakespeare's film, or if you're just looking for a great teen movie, with an outstanding cast. Just watch the sound - whether it was my DVD player, or the guys just can't speak above a whisper, I was having big problems with the sound, and ended up getting deafened when the basketball scenes came on.

Rating:
Summary: Enduring truths
Review: This contemporary version of Othello was well down and powerful. Just as with the Bard himself, Tim Nelson allows the characters and the decisions they make unfold and together create the inevitable tragic conclusion. The musical choices enhanced the action without being distracting and the on court action was honest and believable. Disc 2 contains the original "Othello" as well as commentary and interviews that invite the viewer to watch "O" another time. Each person took their part well ~ Mekhi Phifer was excellent despite seeming a bit mature for the character's age. This film would be a wonderful basis for discussion about any number of issues that are important to young people and the adults who care about them.

Rating:
Summary: good modern day version of Othello
Review: Mehki Phifer(8 Mile, Honey), plays O(or in Shakeaspeare, OTHELLO). Josh Hartnett is the evil and bad dude that tells O that his girlfriend, played by Julia Stiles(Mona Lisa Smile, Save The Last Dance) is sleeping with his friend, played by Andrew Keegan(Camp Nowhere, 10 Things I Hate About You). emotions erupt and friendships and relationships crumble..good movie..played out by Phifer and Hartnett's powerful performances. other actors incude Rain Pheonix(River Pheonix's sister), Elden Hensen(Idle Hands, She's All That), John Heard(Desert Blue, Snake Eyes) and Martin Sheen(Monument Ave, Truth Or Consequences N.M.). Directed by Tim Blake Nelson(starred in Minority Report, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Thin Red Line)