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Mood:
- CleverTense
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Plot:
- BetrayalHigh School LifeTeenage LifeDishonestyLove and RomanceMind and SoulSocietyYouth more...
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Genres:
- DramaMelodrama
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Time/Period:
- Contemporary21st Century
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Place:
- USAHigh SchoolBoarding School
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Audience:
- Teens
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Based on:
- Based on Play
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Attitudes:
- SeriousRealistic
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Flag:
- Drugs/AlcoholProfanitySexual ContentViolent Content
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O, 2001
English
USA
Profile of O
The mood of O is tense and clever. The plot centers around high school life, betrayal, and friends. It is a drama movie. Stylistically, O is a melodrama. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It takes place, at least partly, at a high school. O is set in the USA. It happens in contemporary times. It is adapted from a play. O is especially suggested for teens. Note that it includes drugs/alcohol, sexual content, and profanity.
Summary of O
Director Tim Blake Nelson sets Shakespeare's OTHELLO in a modern day private high school and the result is a dark, somber teen tragedy. Mekhi Phifer (CLOCKERS) stars as Odin James, an African American star basketball player at the otherwise all-white school. The coach of the team (Martin Sheen) loves Odin like a son, which causes real son Hugo (Josh Hartnett) to squirm with jealousy and plan an elaborate revenge. Julia Stiles (a modern dress Shakespeare regular, having also co-starred in HAMLET and TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU) is Desi, the virginal daughter of the dean, with whom Odin is in love. The ensuing outburst of tragic teen violence is a shocking denouement that elevates the already dangerous mood of the film to full-fledged terror.
Because of the intense violence in the film, it was shelved for years by a nervous Miramax in the wake of the real-life Columbine high school massacre. Finally, it was picked up by Lion's Gate Films. Upon viewing the film, such worry seems needless, as the film does nothing to glorify the violence it depicts. It explores themes of class, race, and all-consuming jealousy. Shakespeare's original dialogue is abandoned in favor of hip-hop-flavored modern language, but the tale's timeless relevance remains unaltered.
Details
| Language: | English |
| Country: | USA |
| Release date: | 26 May 2001 |
| Runtime: | 95 min |
Cast and Crew
as Hugo Goulding
as Odin James
as Desi Brable
Photos
Clips
Critics Reviews
San Francisco Chronicle
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- by: Mick LaSalle
Entertainment Weekly
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- by: Owen Gleiberman
