Credit, none the less, to the film-makers' game, unpatronising approach, and to Phifer and Stiles as compelling innocents.
Comment
01/26/06
O (2001)
63
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:123
Fresh:78
Rotten:45
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Though well-intentioned and serious in its exploration of teen violence, O is an uneven experiment that doesn't quite succeed.
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: A contemporary retelling of Othello, Shakespeare's timeless tale of treachery and jealousy, O will perhaps introduce a new audience to the genius of William Shakespeare and some of his most... [More]
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Mekhi Phifer, Julia Stiles, John Heard
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
Reviews for O
Top CriticHartnett never allows him to become a hissable villain, keeping Hugo shy of our sympathies, yet his every move is utterly believable.
12/30/06
Top CriticThe camera is subtle but insistent in how it views characters with darkness, pity and suspicion.
06/12/02
This is definitely worth watching, thanks to the performances and Nelson's direction.
10/30/02
It's highly enjoyable and well acted, with the Iago figure better motivated than in the original play, no single line of which has been retained except for the odd echo.
03/25/08
Perhaps overaware of its solemn literary inheritance, it tiptoes around sex and race, and, in turning Shakespeare's grown-ups into Dawson's Creek teens, jettisons much of the original's grandeur.
10/02/02
Top CriticAn unnecessary addition to the cannon of cinematic Shakespeare.
09/17/02
Top CriticThe presence of old lags Martin Sheen and John Heard just beggars belief. What were they thinking?
07/06/08
Top CriticWhile Hartnett's plan comes to fruition a little too easily, the young cast surprisingly squeezes every drop of the age-old tension out of this sinister game of exes and Os.
08/30/01
Top CriticClick to read the article
06/21/02
Top CriticIt took the mature teenagers of Dawson's Creek and added the intense tragedy and drama of Shakespeare –- and makes it an Oscar Worthy film.
08/15/01
Director Tim Blake Nelson brings an invigorating sense of style to this story.
08/30/01
[A] stylish and faithful adaptation.
08/24/01
Its beauty is in the seamless transformation of a hundreds-of-years-old story to a 21st century setting, aided by capable performances.
02/19/02
Like many of Shakespeare's plays, it tackles human frailities with bold intelligence. This O does not exploit or glorify violence, it explains it.
08/31/01
As played by St. Paul's Josh Hartnett, Hugo is a fascinating, disturbing character.
08/30/01
Artful and emotionally compelling.
08/30/01
For the most part ... O respects its young characters and potential viewers.
09/01/01
Senseless teenage violence and death gets serious, unromantic treatment.
08/30/01
We see that violence comes at a price. That's a valuable lesson for us all -- whether we're young or old.
08/31/01
Latest News for O
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June 28, 2006:
Bosworth and Bloom to Brave the Depression Together
Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth are two seriously photogenic young stars who've never worked together. That's about to change. The pair will co-star in a Depression-era drama... More...
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