10 Most Essential Coen Brothers Films
7. O Brother Where Art Thou
Perhaps you’re noticing a pattern—any list of the Coen
Brothers’ best work will inevitably begin with a journey into darkness as many
of the pair’s most critically acclaimed work traffics in serious, heavy themes
such as morality, mortality, and the pointlessness of existence, but after a
while it’s impossible to forget that damn these two are funny as hell when they
want to be.
Featuring a stellar central turn from a game George Clooney, who proves more than willing to send up his heartthrob image as a goofy, wannabe Casanova convict, this surreal reimagining of Homer’s Odyssey sees a trio of rock-breakers escape from the chain gang, only to embark on a series of satirical misadventures which would leave anyone praying for salvation—or even a return to hard labour.
It’s rare that a film can boast both John Goodman as a demented cyclops and a thoughtful meditation on the birth of America, but then there are few feats that the brothers haven’t proven able to manage.