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Movies / On DVD / O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

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Reviews Counted:141

Fresh:109

Rotten:32

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Though not as good as Coen brothers' classics such as Blood Simple, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Joel and Ethan Coen transport Homer's ODYSSEY to the depression-era South in the silly, fun comedy O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson star as three... Joel and Ethan Coen transport Homer's ODYSSEY to the depression-era South in the silly, fun comedy O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson star as three escaped fugitives on the run in Mississippi. Their adventures through the barren landscape includes run-ins with a soothsayer, a trio of Sirens, a Bible-salesman Cyclops, as well as other archetypes from Southern folklore and pop-culture including a young blues musician, the Klan, and bank robber Baby Face Nelson. Soon they are caught up in a vicious gubernatorial campaign that would make Huey Long proud. The Coen brothers mix in a host of cinematic references in O BROTHER, including SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, COOL HAND LUKE, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, and even dashes of the Three Stooges. The soundtrack of folk ballads, yodeling traditionals, Delta blues, and prison work songs is outstanding, playing in the background (or foreground) of nearly every scene. Clooney, as the ringleader, displays an effervescent smile that is as intoxicating as the Coens' script is outrageous. The cast, including Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, John Goodman, Chris Thomas King, and Michael Badalucco, is charmingly bewildering in a way that only a Coen brothers' cast can be. Joel and Ethan have done it again, crafting this time a unique film steeped in the traditions of the South--and of Hollywood itself. [More]

Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman

Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Michael Badalucco, Chris Thomas King, Charles Durning, Daniel Von Bargen, Stephen Root, John McConnell, Musetta Vander, Mia Tate, Christy Taylor, Wayne Duvall, J. R. Horne, Brian Reddy, Frank Collison

Director: Joel Coen

Director: Joel Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Composer: T-Bone Burnett
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

[See More Credits]

Reviews for O Brother, Where Art Thou?

  • T-Meter Critics
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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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All in all, a thoroughly eclectic and always entertaining mix.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ben Falk
Ben Falk
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Great dialogue, superb 'Scope camerawork from Roger Deakins, and a genuinely wondrous deus ex machina are among the delights.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Simply, O Brother, Where Art Thou? has one of the richest and most satisfying soundtracks I've heard in years.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
04/13/01
Kevin Jackson
Kevin Jackson
Sight and Sound

Confidently cinematic in classical and modern terms, layered with subtleties but also a straight-ahead, crowd-pleasing comedy.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Yes, it's very stylised and mannered, it tries far too hard to be funny, and it's still rather beguiling. It's also just a bit to odd to really work.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

I settled in for something eccentrically referential and amusing. What I got was a boring mess.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

Ultimately, the film's light-hearted stance and risks taken by the Coen brothers (and the goofiness of Clooney and gang) make this bizarre journey work.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/22/00
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A rambunctious and inspired ride.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
12/22/00
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is by no means one of the Coens’ best, but it’s a reasonably entertaining little exercise in a manner of screwball comedy that is sadly rare these days.

comment Comment
12/22/00
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
TNT's Rough Cut

With "O Brother,' the Coens have reached near perfection again, and that's something to sing about.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/02/02
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

From Gilgamesh to Griffith, O Brother, Where Art Thou? mixes up our myths with insouciant intelligence and sheer wacky bravado.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
12/22/00
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Oh-so-much fun to watch, even if it leaves little lasting impression.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
12/29/00
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

Praiseworthy.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
01/12/01
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News

A whimsical, lyrical journey through a national heritage suggested and fulfilled by the songs that hold it together.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
03/27/01
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

From moment to moment, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a pleasure.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
12/22/00
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

It won't stick with you after it's over, it is fun while it lasts.

comment Comment
01/12/01
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

A second viewing sure does help, but it's still one of the lesser Coen projects.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
05/25/02
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

Bizarre, funny, surprising.

Full Review Source: CinemaSense.Com | comment Comment
02/07/01
Cornell & Petricelli
Cornell & Petricelli
CinemaSense.Com

A joyous and humanistic slapstick throwback, anchored by George Clooney's goddamn bona fide performance in his Ulyssean role.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/07/01
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

T-Bone Burnett has assembled a really amazing song score.

Full Review Source: IFilm | comment Comment
12/22/00
Dave White
Dave White
IFilm
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for O Brother, Where Art Thou?

November 07, 2007: Total Recall: Welcome to Coen Brothers Country
Before expanding wide on November 21, No Country for Old Men (90 percent) will play in select cities this Friday riding a wave of huge expectations. The Cormac McCarthy-based... More...

July 27, 2007: Cool New Cast Member for The Incredible Hulk
And the casts for the new Marvel movies just keep getting better and better. This time around? The multi-talented Tim Blake Nelson has been cast as a pivotal villain in Louis... More...

February 02, 2006: Coens Aim to Tackle New "Country"
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joel & Ethan Coen's next film will be an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." Word is that Tommy Lee... More...

September 07, 2005: Clooney & Coens to Reunite for "Hail Caesar"
Apparently the latest issue of Vogue Magazine is being credited with the scoop, but fansite CoenBrothers.net broke the news about two months ago: George Clooney plans to reunite... More...

See All

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