O Brother Where Art Thou? review

With O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers bring ancient Greece to the Deep South of the 1930s. Loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey (which the brothers claim they have never read), this is a slapstick, meandering tale of three escaped convicts and their various escapades en route to locating hidden treasure. Like many of their previous films (The Hudsucker Proxy, Miller’s Crossing and Barton Fink in particular) it is a treat for the eyes but sadly provides little in the way of nourishment for the brain. Once again this talented duo have fallen short of the mark.

The all too familiar premise of fugitives from a chain gang sees Homer Everett McGill (Clooney) leading his none too bright cohorts (Turturro and Nelson) on a mission that is never bound to be straightforward. McGill is a wisecracking, fast-talking and overly erudite charmer: a hero whose Achilles Heel comes in the form of his hair. Without his Dapper Dan hair pomade he cannot function properly, and consequently the trio’s get rich quick plan is destined to go awry. Their misadventures are certainly allegorical - they encounter a blind prophet, a cyclops, a trio of sirens and a guitarist who has sold his soul to the devil before the film has barely started swinging. While much of this is amusing, quirky and frenetic, the overall lack of attention to plot leaves the viewers at times bemused and often confused. When the three suddenly become folk heroes after recording a hit song and become simultaneously involved in the state gubernatorial race, the viewer is left perplexed as to how to understand what is on screen. It all smacks of the director and producer spreading themselves a little too thin.

Clooney is an interesting choice in the lead and it is certainly a project that will add to his kudos in movie buff circles. He lets rip with his best screwball comedy impression and is reminiscent of Cary Grant and Clark Gable. But the lines he is given are so downright obtuse that he is unable to make his character little more than one dimensional.

On a positive side the film is a visual delight. By draining much of the colour out of the film stock, the Coen Brothers have created an often mesmerising sepia masterpiece. Many of the set pieces will rank among their greatest ever, which is no mean compliment. But when will this gifted duo realise that style and texture has to be accompanied by equally strong content?