O Brother, Where Art Thou? Directed by: Joel Coen The Coens have yet to make a real dud. Many didn't get The Hudsucker Proxy or The Big Lebowski. I didn't particularly enjoy Miller's Crossing, but I would still recommend it for one to encompass the full spectrum of these witty brothers who like to mix and match their cinematic wands with each film. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is quite a fantastical film. It comes across as a series of skits linked by a shallow plot line. It's a prison escape lampoon set in the depression era. The film relies strictly on circumstance, and the follies that come with it. At points the film becomes surreal, such as when three women whose purpose is never explained turn one of the fugitives played by John Turturro into a frog. George Clooney's character Ulysses Everett McGill is the leader of the escaped trio, and he promises great fortunes ahead if the two escapees stick with him. The other two are dim-witted types, and have the typical southern common sense attitude of that period of time. They have no choice but to follow. Clooney looks good even when he's dirty, always greasing his hair down with Dapper Dan hair grease. There's a plethora of cameos and outlandish characters to go around
that helps keep a rather corky pace. Coen film regular John Goodman puts
in a great performance as a one-eyed con man, as does as a blind radio DJ
with a keen sense of hearing. They are all laughable performances in a film
that never once tries to be serious. It doesn't rely on the obligatory gross
out humor so often present in films of the wacky comedies of nowadays, and
it's nice to know the Brothers Coen haven't gone the way of the Brothers
Farrelly. |
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