Monday, April 13, 2009

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Remember when this movie came out and everybody you knew loved it and played the soundtrack incessantly, and while you yourself thought it was pretty good too you only felt the need to see it once and were just a little disappointed that it wasn't The Big Lebowski, and also annoyed with all the hype because you were too cool for school? Me too. Well friend, you can stop the hate because in my opinion this movie is still pretty fun and enjoyable almost a decade later. Sure, the movie might suffer from a minor case of Magical Negro syndrome, but the music is great and George Clooney's character is so charming that it's easy to forgive the movie's minor sins. Then the Coen Brothers made The Man Who Wasn't There, Intolerable Cruelty, and The Ladykillers, oops.

RATING: 78%

11 comments:

laurie said...

I didn't feel that way at the beginning. I always thought it was a keeper. (Yes, I know how that sounds, but I really don't mean anything by it.)

Also, paterfamilias.

Viking Andrew said...

Also, Do not seek the treasure!

Belabras said...

They done loved him up into a frog.

It's no Hudsucker Proxy, but I still like it a lot.

John said...

Magical Negros are so racist. They oughtta be in jail.

Timmaaay!!! said...

I seem to remember liking The Man Who Wasn't There. It's been years since I've seen it.

I don't think it would have been a wise move for the Coens to make another movie like Lebowski only two years later.

Why didn't you mention Magical Negro Syndrome in your review for The Shining?

DCP said...

Or my reviews of any Star Trek: The Next Generation episode featuring Guinan?

Chris said...

I always thought the blues musician was a satire of that Magical Negro syndrome you're speaking of.

And the soundtrack is good.

LoCo said...

I like this movie because in it, everyone talks the way that I pretend they talk when I'm trying to annoy Glenn by imitating local newscasters, commercials, and so on.

Viking Andrew said...

Also, let us not forget the greatness of John Goodman in this movie.

DCP said...

No, the blind guy who predicts the whole movie is who I consider to be the "Magical Negro" in question.

Timmaaay!!! said...

The Magical Negro is kind of an "old-timey" storytelling device, so I guess if it belongs in any film, it's O Brother.