STARS: MEKHI PHIFER, JOSH HARTNETT, JULIA STILES, ELDEN HENSON, ANDREW KEEGAN, JOHN HEARD AND MARTIN SHEEN

Anytime you try and remake a classic like Othello, you are setting yourself up for nothing but criticism and this is not likely to turn the genre on it’s ear, don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad film, in fact I enjoyed it, but it’s a comparison it can never hope to win. They say that all movies are influenced by Shakespeare, that his body of work encompasses all types of stories, if this is true, then O has a leg up as it really is Othello for the new millennium.

Othello in this case is Odin ‘O’ James (Mekhi Phifer), the only black athlete in an exclusive school, the basketball star who is dating the most popular girl in school Desi (Julia Stiles). Hugo (Josh Hartnett) is fed up at the attention being paid to O especially by his father, the coach (Martin Sheen) who seems to care more for O than his own son.

Hugo seeks to destroy O through whatever means are necessary and starts a campaign to undermine O’s relationship with his girl, the coach and his team mates. He is the master manipulator playing all angles to turn loves and friends against each other, he never reaches beyond his grasp and simply plants the seeds of doubt in ‘O’ to turn him from hero to villain.

Like I mentioned before, this film accomplishes what it sets out to achieve but does so in completely different fashion from the other two modern day Shakespeare adaptations (Romeo and Juliet & 10 Things I Hate About You). Unlike the others, this is a serious attempt at a remake and with good performances from all the cast, in particular Hartnett and Sheen, director Tim Blake Nelson makes what would have been a much better film had it not been named ‘O’.

THE EXTRAS

Interviews: With actors Julia Stiles, Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett and director Tim Blake Nelson discussing their characters and the usual gushing compliments on how everyone is the best ever at their job and how no one else could have done what they do.

Deleted Scenes: Four scenes are included with the option of the directors commentary, none of the scenes are necessary and the film is better off without them.

Basketball Scene Analysis: A commentary with Russell Fine (Director of Photography) and Tim Blake Nelson discussing the finer points of the shooting techniques used to capture the three main sequences.

Theatrical Trailer

Cast and Crew Biographies

Audio Commentary: Director Tim Blake Nelson provides a very laid back commentary which is very much like the man himself if you have seen him in front of the camera. Very unassuming and full of silences, he is perhaps not the best person to provide a commentary although he does cover virtually all aspects of the production.

CONCLUSION

Remaking Shakespeare is always a risky proposition, but in this case with fine performances and direction, this movie, while not immune from criticism, can hold it’s head high.