There aren't really that many sure bets when it comes to movies. Even our favorite film-makers are bound to stumble. When I think sure bets, I think Martin Scorcese. The guy has never made a film I didn't like. The same is true with those rambunctious Coen Brothers. Sure, The Big Lebowski wasn't the best Coen Brothers flick but it was still a great movie. That's my same reaction to their new film O Brother, Where Art Thou? An ode to Homer's The Odyssey.

In O Brother..., George Clooney plays a prisoner during the Depression who, with the help of his chain gang partners, manages to escape the confines of jail and head out on the lamb. His fellow escapees are played by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson. Following their break, they meet various characters during the course of their bizaare adventure.

Clooney is a gas showing a true knack for slapstick comedy. Turturro is also terrific as the edgiest of the three inmates. Nelson was my favorite, however, as a likable nitwit. The three play off each other in a Three Stooges type fashion as they run into one scrape after the other.

"O Brother" is another visual stunner from the Coens. In fact, this is probably their best looking picture since The Hudsucker Proxy. This is a movie that makes the audience feel as if they are in another place and time. Once again the Coens also show there true passion for quirky dialogue and eccentric characters as this zany film is full of both. Finally, the film gets a huge boost from it's rip-roaring bluegrass soundtrack. And although it's completely obvious that most of the musical numbers are lip synched, it hardly takes away from the energy of these particular sequences.

My problem with this picture is the pacing. Unlike Coen masterpieces (Fargo, Barton Fink etc.), there are moments in "O Brother" that just couldn't hold my interest. I also found moments to be excessively mean-spirited without a point. I must admit, the cow sequence really left me laughing, but other moments seemed unnecessary. I also found that many of the transitions from humor to all out brutality didn't seem to find balance. That's unusual in a Coen Brothers film because these guys have a keen eye for mean-spirited comedy.

After all is said and done, it's virtually impossible to give a negative review to a Coen Brothers film because there is always something in it worth recommending. In O'Brother, Where Art Thou?, there's great cinematography, glorious sets, catchy tunes, and a wide array of wonderfully colorful characters. Even at their worst, the Coens still know how to make an entertaining movie.