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SYNOPSIS:
Led by smooth talking Everett Ulysees McGill (George Clooney),
three escaped convicts make a break for freedom from a chain-gang
in Depression era Mississippi. McGill talks the other two
into the daring escape with the lure of a substantial stash
of cash, buried after an armoured car heist. On their long
and fraught journey home, the escapees hook up with a traveling
bluesman who has sold his soul to the devil for musical talent.
In an attempt to raise cash, they stumble into an isolated
radio station and record a ‘good-timey’ song under
the band/hill-billy name “The Soggy Bottom Boys”.
The trio become overnight radio stars, with the whole of Mississippi
desperate to find the whereabouts of the bonafide recording
sensations!
MOVIE
REVIEW
O Brother, Where Art Thou? was made in 2000 but never
did find a release in our local theatres. I do not know the
reason behind this but I would suspect that it was because
O Brother was conjured by the Coen Brothers. Why? Well, if
Fargo and Raising Arizona are anything to come by, Coen Brothers’
movies are an acquired taste. In fact, you’ll either
like it or you won’t. Do not be turned away by the movie’s
Shakespeare-esque title though or you’ll miss a witty
comedy.
The
movie is loosely inspired by Homer’s epic, The Odyssey.
Heck, even the main character’s name is Ulysses. And,
it’s all about a journey. Ulysses (George Clooney) wants
to escape from a chain gang and in wanting to do so, he has
to talk the other two guys who are chained to him, Delmar
(Tim Blake Nelson) and Pete (John Turturro). Ulysses entices
them with the offer of a hidden treasure at the end of the
journey. What they do not expect is to stumble into a political
campaign, a Klan meeting and becoming overnight radio stars
known as The Soggy Bottom Boys.
With
Coen Brothers’ veterans like John Goodman, Holly Hunter
and Tim Blake Nelson in the cast, the characters are all well
executed. In this, George Clooney exercises his comedic prowess
which has been pretty lackluster as of late. And, the Coen
Brothers have made another worthy movie. It seems that they
always seem to have something up their sleeves. The movie
is light-hearted and satirical, right where the Coen Brothers
belong.
MOVIE
RATING:
 
Review
by Mohamad Shaifulbahri
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