(January 23, 2001) — If you were asked to name a story involving a man trying to get home before his wife marries another man, who along the way encounters numerous obstacles including a Cyclops and three sirens, your reply would most likely be “The Odyssey.” Now, if you were told this story took place in 1930s Mississippi, the only thing you could reply with is “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” George Clooney leads an all-star cast in the latest escapade from “Fargo” creators Joel and Ethan Coen. “O Brother” follows the adventures of Everett (Clooney), Pete (John Tuturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson). After escaping from a chain gang they begin a long journey home. While Everett is eager to return so he can stop his wife from remarrying, Pete and Delmar are more enamored with recovering a treasure worth $1.2 million that Everett claims to have buried near his house. Clooney gives a hilarious performance as a self-described “man with the gift of gab.” His character’s fast talking nature and know-it-all attitude complement each other perfectly, making this one of Clooney’s best roles to date and rightfully deserving of his Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy. The supporting cast is simply stellar. Tutturro and Nelson are uproarious as the dim-witted sidekicks. Coen regular John Goodman returns in his fifth collaboration with the brothers, playing Big Dan Teague, a one-eyed Bible salesman. Holly Hunter makes her second Coen outing as Everett’s stubborn and eccentric wife, Penny. Other supporting players include Michael Badalucco (“The Practice”) and Daniel Von Bargen (“Malcolm in the Middle”). One noticeably excellent aspect of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is the music. Selected and arranged by T-Bone Burnett, the music is what makes the movie. The constant strumming of a banjo in the background, in addition to several musical performances, adds a wonderfully light-hearted feeling to the movie. Everett, Pete and Delmar even take the stage. As one of their many schemes to get home on time, they form a singing group called the Soggy Bottom Boys to make money. They even end up recording a hit record. Burnett has previously worked with the Coens on their last (and extremely underrated) film “The Big Lebowski.” “O Brother”’s time period is amazingly well captured. Production designer Dennis Gassner and cinematographer Roger Deakins did an excellent job finding and creating locations that express Depression-era Mississippi perfectly. This is a visually stunning film. “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is just an all-around enjoyable and entertaining movie. And while it may not be the pinnacle of the Coens’ filmmaking careers, it is definitely one of the best films of the year. “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is currently playing at theaters everywhere. Rated PG-13 for some language and violence.