Rent O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Brilliant - O Brother, Where Art Thou? review by AH

This is an ingenious and very funny film. I've watched it three times now and it is definitely one of my all time favourites, though I feel it goes a little soggy towards the end. The narrative is supposedly inspired by Homer's Odyssey. It begins as a tale of three amigos who are joined midway by a fourth, but at the end of the film it seems to have morphed into a story about just one of the amigos – what's happened to the others? Arguably, the last few minutes are supposed to be some sort of tangential coda but I suspect that the concept hadn't been fully thought through. Nevertheless, it's very amusing: classic lines, memorable images, typically wacky Coen brothers' characters and a wonderfully earthy traditional country music soundtrack.

Answers on a postcard! - O Brother, Where Art Thou? review by TB

Answers on a postcard if anyone knows what the film is about or meant to be. I’ve seen some fairly odd films down the years but that can only be described as three escapees on a road trip, on acid.

What and why?

Quirky Coen Brothers Comedy - O Brother, Where Art Thou? review by GI

The Coen Brother homage to Homer's Odyssey on which this is very loosely based. It's a comedy adventure where three criminals escape from a chain gang in depression era USA. George Clooney is Ulysses Everett McGill who is desperate to escape for personal reasons. Being chained to Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) he has to convince them to come along. Chased by a relentless lawman, who fans will recognise as a big homage to Cool Hand Luke (1967) they encounter a host of bizarre and strange characters including John Goodman as a 'cyclops' and along the way they make a record for money which becomes a big hit. It's all bizarre, brilliant and good fun as they deal with the Ku Klux Klan, three seductive women and Baby Face Nelson (who hates his nickname!). Holly Hunter pops up too and there's a fantastic soundtrack by T. Bone Burnett including Man Of Constant Sorrow, which became a big hit. This is another Coen Brothers film that takes you in unexpected directions and never fails to keep you watching although it occasionally seems to drag as if it's head to be stretched to feature length but there's a quirky originality to the film that makes it worth checking out.