I am still kicking myself for not seeing this film in the theater when it first came out. Oh well, at least I had the good sense to catch up with it on my local pay-per-view cable channel about a month ago. I can honestly say that I've only been surprised by a movie a few times, and this is one of those times. I saw George Clooney in "The Perfect Storm", and thought he did a very good job in that film, but I wasn't prepared for what "O Brother" had in store! I've seen "Raising Arizona" and "Fargo", and am definitely a Coen fan, but OBWAT is in a league ALL BY ITSELF. It's spirit is simple and poetic, its actors are dead-on, its screenplay is virtually flawless, its cinematography gorgeous, and its soundtrack is one that with have you humming/singing/whistling for a long time after. "Surreal" is a word that comes to mind to describe many of the scenes. The escapees are 3 of the funniest characters you'll ever meet on film; Charles Durning as Gov. Pappy Lee O'Daniel makes me laugh just thinking about his portrayal, along with his "advisors" and his rotund son, Junior; and all of the other supporting characters make for a superb collection of contributors to this rare jewel. I replay my tape of it to the auditorium scene over and over, just to savor the exuberant return of "The Soggy Bottom Boys". If you haven't seen OBWAT, you're missing a treat. 10/10
Review of O Brother, Where Art Thou?
