O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

The Coen brothers deliver a confidently cinematic, crowd-pleasing comedy that splices Homer's Odyssey with Depression-era America and Preston Sturges. It stands out for its witty lines, visual imagination and feelgood musical elements.

The Coens create a continuously inventive and entertaining comic-ironic take on 1930s genre films set in Mississippi, blending road caper, musical and political satire. It excels as a lovingly crafted reproduction artefact that relives the Golden Age of Hollywood through comic assimilation.

An eccentric, picaresque Southern period comedy rife with genial madness, the film is perhaps the warmest production in the Coens’ repertoire thanks to its respectful treatment of traditional American music. The songs become a living presence and the real star, enlivening the whimsical cross-pollination of Greek mythology and Old South clichés.

The critic calls the film a joyous musical comedy and loving homage to '30s Americana, assembled with intoxicating energy like a Warner Brothers cartoon. It highlights the film's warmth and sincere affection for the period as a disarming surprise.

The review describes the film as a mixed blessing from the Coen brothers.

The review calls it a witty, lightweight comedy with strong appeal in niche markets, praising Clooney's delightfully self-mocking performance as a charming rogue and the well-cast eccentrics. It highlights the ingenious reworking of sources, foot-tapping soundtrack, and Deakins' glorious images.

The critic highlights the film's rich period soundtrack and clever blending of Homeric parallels with references to Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels. It praises Clooney's relaxed, self-mocking performance and the loving evocation of American folk culture and music.

The Coens’ Homeric pastiche has brio, wit, and style, and the whole picture is air-cushioned with appealing comedy and its own unassuming good nature. It is a film which is impossible to dislike.

The critic finds the film a wildly ambitious but ultimately unsatisfying goof on The Odyssey. It is praised for its gorgeous visuals and Roger Deakins' cinematography but criticized for lacking the cohesive bliss of Fargo.

The Coen brothers deliver a rambunctious and inspired ride through a portable anthology of Americana, blending elements of The Odyssey with scraps of other cultural touchstones in a picaresque Depression-era Mississippi tale. The film is one of their sillier efforts but richer and more serious than it first appears, with its pastiche of period style and fascination with American popular culture reaching new heights of whimsy.

The review notes the film's anarchic, shaggy tone as a Depression-era semi-musical road comedy loosely based on The Odyssey. It singles out Clooney's perfect casting, the wealth of terrific music, great dialogue, Deakins' camerawork, and a wondrous deus ex machina as key delights.

A charming if lightweight Coen brothers escapade, this musically tinged riff on The Odyssey set in the Depression-era Deep South is more memorable for its fantastic moments and visual/performance grace notes than for its insubstantial cumulative impact. It offers a fanciful tour of an Old Mississippi where kismet and bluegrass prevail, with strong craft but an “Odyssey” without full closure.

The critic praises the Coen brothers' wild comic invention and slapstick spirit in this loose Odyssey adaptation set in Depression-era Mississippi. George Clooney's comedic lead performance stands out as a highlight, with the film thriving on eccentricity and grotesque humor.