Product ReviewsO (DVD, 2002, 2-Disc Set, Deluxe Edition)

O (DVD, 2002, 2-Disc Deluxe Edition)

Director Tim Blake Nelson and screenwriter Brad Kaaya had to wait two years for their collaborative effort to be released in theatres. "O" is a retelling/retooling of Shakespeare's Othello, with the action taking place on the basketball court at a private, southern, high school, in place of Othello's battlefield. The film's shooting was complete and editing was in process when the devastating shootings at Columbine High School took place. Due to the fictional violence in the film, and the real-life shootings that took place in Columbine, and at other high schools throughout the U.S., "O" was shelved and thought too hot to handle, until Lions Gate Films picked it up. The powers that be decided to hold off on the release until a more appropriate time could be determined for its theatrical debut, and a distribution date of August 31, 2001 was eventually settled on.
"O" is a violent, gripping, emotional tale of love, friendship, and betrayal. Mekhi Phifer stars as Odin, star basketball player and one of only a handful of African American students attending a private school in Charleston, South Carolina. His skills on the basketball court are unparalleled, and his ability to make friends is unrivaled. Odin has everything going for him including the love of a beautiful girl, Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), and a promising future in basketball. Echoing Othello's storyline, "O" has a jealous villain in the form of Odin's best friend, Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett), son of the basketball coach. Hugo is jealous of Odin's talent, and Odin's relationship with the coach (Hugo's father, played by Martin Sheen), their teammates, and Desi. Nothing Hugo does attracts one-tenth of the attention or praise that Coach Goulding bestows on his all-star player.
Hugo's jealousy manifests itself in his interactions with rich kid, Roger (Elden Henson), who becomes an unwitting pawn in Hugo's obsessive desire to destroy Odin - no matter what the cost. Under the guise of helping Odin, Hugo manipulates Odin into having serious misgivings about Desi, planting the seed that she's cheating on him with teammate, Michael Casio (Andrew Keegan). Hugo, with the help of Roger, concocts an elaborate plan to tear down Odin, destroy his relationship with Desi, and ruin his chances of becoming a professional ballplayer.
Realistic and jarring, "O" is a disturbing film that will no doubt leave audiences drained. There was plenty of buzz around this film prior to its scheduled release date. "O" stars a couple of the hottest young talents around - Josh Hartnett & Julia Stiles - and features "Soul Food's" Mekhi Phifer. The teaming of these stars with an intelligent script and outstanding direction provides "O" with the potential to be a sleeper hit (despite its R rating). Both Hartnett and Stiles have a large fan base who are sure to turn out in droves for this romantic drama. All of the actors do a fine job of conveying the angst of being teenagers, and display the appropriate rollercoaster of emotions necessary to adequately portray these characters. Josh Hartnett comes across particularly well as the villainous Hugo, but the film's top acting kudos go to Mekhi Phifer. He's outstanding as Odin - hard yet vulnerable, talented yet insecure.Read full review...

Teen movie that everyone can enjoy

What I liked about "O" is that even though the movie derived from the classic Shakespeare Othello, it added many twists and an updated theme that was attractive to todays young society. The suspense was kept strong the whole way through, and all of the actors were amazing. It really made you feel what they were feeling. So many teen dramas seem so unreal in the fact that you know what's going on in the movie could never happen in real life. Although this tragic movie probably wouldn't happen in real life, it goes in such a way where you could see the possibility.

The only thing I didn't like, or that I thought they could at least to a little less of was symbolism. From the beginning to the end there was a lot of it. Youth don't really care about symbolism, in fact most of the time it isn't even caught. Some of the symbolism was pretty cheesy, although it wasn't bad enough for me to dislike the move...I still loved it!Read full review...

O delivers the action and the thrills!

O is about a young man named Odin who is the schools most popular basketball player. His best friend Hugo is insanely jealous of the popular O and will stop at nothing to ruin him. This movie will have you at the edge of your seat and will be a movie that you'll want to see again and again!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: decluttr_store

Good movie

You'll love it

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: garbeck

Mekhi Phifer

I decided to purchase this DVD because of one of the actors Mekhi Phifer. One thing that I loved was that I had no problems finding the DVD on half.com. I happen to see a preview of this movie and had not seen or heard of the movie. At that time I was very anxious to see the film. So I went on line found a great seller along with a faburlous price and that was it. After receiving the purchase in great standard and seeing the film, that I enjoyed but was disturb with the ending. I was not expecting the film to end that way. Other than that there wasn't anything that I dislike about my purchase. Being able to find, purchase at a great price is wonderful way to add great movies to my collection that I truly value.
Thanks again to a great seller!

Respectfully

BF7300Read full review...

O (2002, DVD)

With Shakespeare doing the plotting, a screenplay would have trouble going far wrong. I liked the use of voiceover and birds at the start, and the ending voiceover. Hartnett's rendering of the Iago character from Othello is heart-felt, and his confusion to find himself where he is by his own machinations at the end creates a vulnerability I never felt for Iago in reading the play, or seeing it performed.Read full review...

Great!

Absolutely LOVE this movie!!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: decluttr_store

A++++

searching for this movie for a while. great find... great quality!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: esan7741

O(2002) DVD

I bought this dvd for my daughter, It was inexpensive for a DVD which is why I bid on it. The DVD works great there are no problems with it. My only issue is the outside of the box looked pretty rought. It has scratches and dings that made it look really old and untaken care of, not the look you want to give to someone as a gift.Read full review...

O: no, why did you kill her?

The movie was good. So much back stabbing and scheming againt each other and they were supposed to be friends. Jealousy and envy are two of the most deadly flaws one can possess. You can't always believe what you hear, go to the source. If O would have done this, alot of people would have lived in this one.
i recommend this one!Read full review...