This past week I was sifting through a box of assorted junk in my closet in an attempt to find a flash drive, and I stumbled upon one of the best movies that I have ever forgotten about. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it's the Cohen brothers depression era adaptation of the The Odyssey. George Clooney gives an outstanding performance and is surrounded by great co-stars in John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who considers themselves true fans of cinema.
I remember that for years after it came out, it was a staple of the Pierce family Thanksgiving celebrations. It filled in those strange couple hours that exist between the end of the meal and the inevitable tryptophan induced coma. Watching this movie again took me back to the golden days before everyone grew up and went their own ways.
However, I haven't chosen to be a movie blogger for my project, so I'll talk about the soundtrack for this movie.
This is one of those soundtracks that makes a movie. I'm sure that even with a completely different lineup of songs, the Cohen brothers would've still created an amazing film, but it would've had a completely different character. The directors pulled together gospel, bluegrass, southern folk and old timey blues songs that are completely indicative of the culture of the southern depression era. From songs like "Man of Constant Sorrow" to "Down to the River" and "I'll fly away" the tone of the movie isn't merely set by the soundtrack, it's raised to the upper eschelons of cinematic beauty.
Again, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of the Cohen brothers. It takes a couple times watching it, but eventually you'll begin to realize the importance that the soundtrack plays in the overall effectiveness of the movie. Here's a couple of my favorite songs from the album.
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