Typically Coen Brothers ***

Take an already quirky fable in Homer’s Odyssey, set it in 1930s America and allow the offbeat Joel and Ethan Coen brothers to write, produce and direct and you’ve got yourselves O' Brother Where Art Thou?.

Add to that some good performances from George Clooney in the lead role,  John Turturro as one of his offsiders and an array of cameo appearances from some Coen brothers regulars like John Goodman plus Holly Hunter as Clooney’s former wife and you’ve got a quality film on your hands.

One which despite never reaching any real crescendo is near-perfectly written and all-encompassing – joining about half-a-dozen storylines together without ever having to stretch for too much.

But it is the characters which makes this film as good as it is.

From the eccentricities of Clooney’s character, Everett Ulysses McGill – someone who admits to never liking silence in a conversation – to the sheer faith of his offsiders, Pete Hogwallop and Delmar O'Donnel, who believe they will be forgiven for all their sins in heaven and on earth after they have been baptised, this is just another example of the Coen’s talents in creating colourful characters.

And if you know the story of Homer’s Odyssey all the better. I myself knew some parts (such as the three mermaids) and no doubt would have enjoyed the movie even further had I been able to relate the two.

The use of music is also where the film excels. It plays a large part in holding the film together and beyond that adds to the characters.

Overall a good quality film that despite the appearance of Clooney was never set to turn the box-office world on fire.

If you’ve liked anything the Coen brothers have done before (Fargo, The Big Lebowski) you’ll like this one.

- Philip Henderson