I set out to see �O� Brother Where Art Thou?� with it set in my mind that it was going to be great. Now this is a dangerous way to do things because it can be very easy to be let down with such high standards. Needless to say I was not disappointed. I laughed harder in this film than in almost all the other Coen Brother�s movies combined. It reminded me of how films used to be made back in the 1930�s and 40�s, when a comedy didn�t have to be dirty to be funny (This must be odd for all you old folks to hear since it is coming out a 20 year olds mouth).
The story, which is very loosely based on The Odyssey by Homer, tells the story of three fugitives who escaped from a Mississippi chain gang during the Depression, and have four days to find a buried treasure. Along the way they meet a Cyclops (One-eyed bible salesman), some seductive Sirens (Three beautiful country gals, doing laundry), a blind prophet, and a bunch of other characters from the original story adapted into this wonderful comedy.
George Clooney is great as Ulysses Everett McGill, the leader of the three fugitives and the instigator of the escape. Clooney milks his character for every laugh possible and believe me there was a lot of them. Along for the ride are John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as Pete and Delmar, Ulysses� chain mates. Both of these actors bring a lot to their roles and the movie wouldn�t be the same without them. The same goes for the rest of the all-star cast, which includes John Goodman (as the one-eyed bible salesman), Charles Durning (the Governor of Mississippi), Michael Badalucco (as gangster Babyface Nelson), and Holly Hunter (as Ulysses� estranged wife Penny). All these characters are very colorful and great fun to watch. There is hardly a dull moment.
Another great part of the movie is the music. The song �Man of Constant Sorrow� (Lip sang in the film by Clooney, Turturro, and Nelson) really grows on you and you can find yourself singing or humming it a couple days after you see the film.
Overall this was a very funny and enjoyable film that I could probably watch again and again. With great acting, characters, and music this is a film I will remember for a while to come.
