I get just the biggest kick out of this picture. So much so that I regularly listen to the film's soundtrack and have been inspired to memorize the words to 'The Big Rock Candy Mountain". That song singularly captures the whimsical nature of the picture, and prefaces the adventurous escapades of our hero trio - 'In the Big Rock Candy Mountain, all the jails are made of tin, and you can walk right out again as soon as you are in.'
Not being a fan of George Clooney, I thought he did an exceptional job here as the nominal leader of the chain gang misfits that make a break for it on the road to fame and fortune. It's only later that we come to realize that Everett's quest is really to reunite with his wife and kids, and dispel the notion that he was hit by a train. Clooney's given all the best lines by virtue of his good looks and snappy delivery, and his 'dumber than a bag of hammers' line is one I'm apt to use from time to time myself.
So everyone knows by now that the story is based on Homer's 'Odyssey', but I haven't heard anyone yet make a connection to one of my favorite childhood films. Remember when Everett, Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) pop up over the hedge and join the procession at the Klan rally. Wasn't it oddly reminiscent of "The Wizard of Oz"? The only thing missing was Delmar trying to tuck a tail underneath his robe. And say, didn't Pete look a lot like the scarecrow?
To sum it up - good story, cool characters, witty dialog and a great musical score make this a favorite of mine, and probably the first Coen Brothers film to get my attention enough to seek out their other pictures. This one though is the one I'll keep coming back to watch again and again, it's that entertaining.
Not being a fan of George Clooney, I thought he did an exceptional job here as the nominal leader of the chain gang misfits that make a break for it on the road to fame and fortune. It's only later that we come to realize that Everett's quest is really to reunite with his wife and kids, and dispel the notion that he was hit by a train. Clooney's given all the best lines by virtue of his good looks and snappy delivery, and his 'dumber than a bag of hammers' line is one I'm apt to use from time to time myself.
So everyone knows by now that the story is based on Homer's 'Odyssey', but I haven't heard anyone yet make a connection to one of my favorite childhood films. Remember when Everett, Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) pop up over the hedge and join the procession at the Klan rally. Wasn't it oddly reminiscent of "The Wizard of Oz"? The only thing missing was Delmar trying to tuck a tail underneath his robe. And say, didn't Pete look a lot like the scarecrow?
To sum it up - good story, cool characters, witty dialog and a great musical score make this a favorite of mine, and probably the first Coen Brothers film to get my attention enough to seek out their other pictures. This one though is the one I'll keep coming back to watch again and again, it's that entertaining.