Why Memory Can Fail You

Memory is a strange and wonderful thing especially in regards to how one places sentimental attachment to the context, environment or even people that you experience an event with ( Avatar people pay attention!). Films and television are especially a strange ground for memory for the simple fact that we have such strong ties to these stories we experience either individually or communally.

So last night we watched "O Brother Where Art Thou?"in our Coen bros. chronology fest, and based on chronology it was by far the worst film the Coens had made up to that point ( I believe it was made in 2000). This was a surprise to me and the few others who joined in ( shame if you did not) because the main conversation that was had afterwards was how much we had all liked the film years ago or upon the first time we saw it at the movies. So what happened?......

The film has a quite heavy, bloated, and dogged middle, help up by a less than dynamic first and last acts. This is compounded by the fact that this is an attempted musical, and note that I said an attempted musical. The strung together musical adventure, touched on in Lebowski in a more hallucinogenic and episodic nature (to a much greater effect), was something that the Coens seemed to be working towards for quite some time, as they had grown more sophisticated with the integration of existing music into film as a type of added layer to the existing narrative, both through sight and sound.

So, we all liked this film originally. Why? It would seem we were seduced by the bluegrass. Having had little exposure to it at that time, I can safely say in reflection that indeed, yes, the soundtrack was fresh enough at the time of first viewing to cloud my better film judgement, which apparently was the consensus amongst most. I mean, bluegrass...who knew ( and I am from the south!).

(SIGH) So "O Brother" is a fail. A big cinematographic beautifully lit yet poorly structured fail. Proceed with caution on your viewing. Up next weekend, we move on to "The Man Who Wasn't There". Feel free to join the fun by giving me a tweet @jldprod2002 or here at the blog.