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Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Mind games</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Odin James: Mekhi Phifer</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Hugo Goulding: Josh Hartnett</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Desi Brable: Julia Stiles</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Roger: Elden Ratliff</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Michael: Andrew Keegan</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Dean Brable: John Heard</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Emily: Rain Phoenix</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Coach Duke Goulding: Martin Sheen</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Director: Tim Blake Nelson</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="304" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A high school student, jealous of a star player on the basketball team, plots to get even by making him think that his girlfriend is sexually involved with another teammate. Three boys who believe they have been wronged seek revenge, with tragic consequences. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Odin James (Mekhi Phifer) is an African-American student and star on the basketball team at an exclusive private high school, where all the other students and faculty are white. He is in love with Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), whose father is the Dean   (John Heard); they share a loving and intimate relationship. Life is good. However, even as he pretends to be Odin's friend, Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett), the coach's son, is intensely jealous of Odin. Odin gets the school's MVP trophy and he shares it with Michael (Andrew Keegan), his "go to man," rather than with Hugo; and most crushing to Hugo is that his father, Coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen), loves Odin "like a son."</div> <bR> <div>  Hugo's major problem with Odin and Desi's relationship is not the interracial piece of the puzzle. That's just another corner of the complete picture of deceit and dislike he feels. Although he is not thrilled with the fact that Odin has arguably the finest girl in school, he knows that he has nothing close to that in his life.  What the relationship does offer is the means to mess with Odin's mind and cause him to either get expelled from school because of sexual misconduct or drug abuse. If only he can make Odin think that Desi is cheating on him with his good friend Michael, Hugo's revenge will be complete. </div> <bR> <div> It does not take long for Hugo to set his plan in motion. Using Roger (Elden Ratliff), the school dork and the guy that people pick on, Hugo has a friend to help him with his plan. He even gets Desi's roommate Emily (Rain Phoenix) to go along with the deception when she steals a family heirloom scarf given to Desi by Odin, which makes its way to Michael. Michael is Desi's best friend. Their relationship is platonic, but because they are always together when Odin is playing basketball, it's a situation tailor-made to be manipulated and presented as something it's not. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: The film <I><B>O</B></I> is based upon a faithful adaptation of Shakespeare's play <I><B>Othello.</B></I> It's missing the fancy prose and period setting, but the essence of the story, with its passion and betrayal, is right on the money. </div> <bR> <div> <I><B>O</B></I><B> </B>sat on the shelf for close to two years because of its tragic tone (true to <I>Othello</I>)<I>,</I> and how it might be perceived in light of a number of killings in high schools here in the U.S.     Shakespeare does indeed set the basis for a great American tragedy.  </div> <bR> <div> The acting is superb with a stand out performance by Josh Hartnett in particular; he is much better than he is in <I><B>Pearl Harbor.</B></I> He manages to pull off the nice guy exterior while truly being the friend you hope you'll never have, in the manner of <I><B>With a Friend Like Harry. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> The tone of the film <I><B>Bully</B></I>, based upon actual events involving horrific acts by teenagers, makes this somehow not ring quite as true; with Odin dating the Dean's daughter and Hugo being the coach's son who turns Odin against Desi. But since it's based upon Shakespeare, that's not necessarily a bad thing. </div> <bR> <div> Hugo feels that Odin soars above the crowd and that he can literally fly both on and off the basketball court. He sees O as proud, powerful, and determined-he has it all. Hugo fits into the social scene but not like Odin. Then of course there's the matter of Coach Goulding's obvious admiration for Odin. </div> <bR> <div> Hugo finally gets the attention he wants, but as with many of the situations involving teens that commit capital offenses, there is a disconnect between planning what to do and the consequences of those actions. Hopefully, films like <I><B>O</B></I> and <I><B>Bully</B></I><B> </B>will be seen by young adults and provoke them to think about <I>non-violent</I> courses being the appropriate way to address perceived and real grievances.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div>  R (violence; strong sexuality; language; drug use)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Mekhi Phifer: <I><B>Shaft</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Josh Hartnett: <I><B>Pearl Harbor</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Julia Stiles: <I><B>Save the Last Dance</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Elden Ratliff: <I><B>Cast Away</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Andrew Keegan: Independence Day</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> John Heard: <I><B>Pollock</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Rain Phoenix: <I><B>Stranger Inside</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Martin Sheen: The West Wing- TV</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="286"><div> Tim Blake Nelson: <I><B>O Brother Where Art Thou?</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="38" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>