O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2 Disc Special Edition) (UK)
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They have a plan, but not a clue
Certificate: 12
Running Time: 107 mins
Retail Price: £19.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is a garrulous, silver-tongued, petty criminal, having some difficulty adjusting to the regimentation of life as a man sentenced to a term of hard labour in Mississippi.
Reluctant to spend any more time crushing rocks, he scams his way off the chain gang with a clumsy duo of fellow convicts: sweet and simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and the maladjusted Pete (John Turturro). The trio embark on the adventure of a lifetime as they set out to pursue their freedom and the promise of sharing in the division of a fortune in buried treasure.
Special Features:
Cast and Crew Interviews with George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro, Holly Hunter, Michael Badalucco, Chris Thomas King and the Coen Brothers
Soggy Bottom Boys `I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow` Music Video
Painting With Pixels
Production Featurette
Storyboard To Scene Comparison (multi-angle feature)
The Making Of `Down From The Mountain` Live Concert
Original Trailer
TV Spots
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitle Tracks:
CC: English
Directed By:
Joel Coen
Written By:
Homer
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Starring:
George Clooney
John Turturro
Tim Blake Nelson
John Goodman
Holly Hunter
Chris Thomas King
Casting By:
Ellen Chenoweth
Soundtrack By:
T-Bone Burnett
Carter Burwell
Chris Thomas King
Director of Photography:
Roger Deakins
Editor:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Tricia Cooke
Costume Designer:
Mary Zophres
Production Designer:
Dennis Gassner
Producer:
John Cameron
Ethan Coen
Robert Graf
Executive Producer:
Tim Bevan
Eric Fellner
Distributor:
Momentum Pictures
Your Opinions and Comments
I was a little slow on the uptake with the Coen Brothers, and this is the only one of their films I`ve seen. I don`t know what the others are like, but this is a truly imaginative film, and a wonderful take on Homers Odessey. It is full of wonderful characters, even beyond the three escapees the film centres around, on the quest for the treasure. The film also has some wonderful moments of dialogue that really are laugh out loud. I can`t really pick out one in particular, but the watch dialogue, the moment in the recording studio and the Woolworths moment are great, but they aren`t highlights as the whole film is a highlight. The acting is fantastic all round. I`m a big George Clooney fan and some of the looks he pulls are wonderful. My only complaint is the accents are at times unpenetrable, a point brought up in the AUDIO section. Overall, this is a comedy, an adventure, romance and a light hearted look at 30`s southern USA.
VIDEO
A sublime transfer, taking advantage of the empty disc one no doubt. The use of digital alteration of the film to give a sepia toned effect is shown wonderfully here, with a very natural looking 2.35.1 transfer, bringing out all the golds and browns as you would expect
AUDIO
I have a slight problem with the audio. It is very quite. It is very dialogue heavy for most of the film, and the volume has to be way up to hear the speech, and the accents don`t help. But when the action scenes kick in, it is just too loud, but appart from that problem, it is good, with the OST in the film containing many wonderful 30`s songs that really make the film just so much better. I advise you buy the soundtrack as well.
EXTRAS
A two disc set from Momentum puts all the extras on disc 2, but all of it could have fitted onto disc 1. The menus are inkeeping with the film, with a nice old time feel about them. The extras consist of the usual trailers and TV spots and a music video, as well as some featurettes on the colour alteration, the film itself, and the accompanying concert, Down From The Mountain. Not a great selection, and a commentary with the directors, the cast and the cinematographer would have been nice, and is simply a missed opportunity.