The Coens must have been an influence on this !

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2009)

This is so off the wall, with a number of actors who's shone in Coen comedies, than I can't help feel the film has taken a Coen-inspired approach to the adaptation of the novel - which is probably the only way to make a mainstream-ish comedy from what is a difficult read. Clooney excels here, with a deadpan style more toned down from his unforgettable Everett McGill in O Brother Where Art Thou!, but no less entertaining or convincing. McGregor's accent slips quite frequently and the jedi in-joke wears a bit thin the fourth or fifth time they run it but he's very easy on the eye so that's all forgiven. Jeff Bridges, while not reach "the dude" heights, turns in his best performance for several years. The dialogue is at times brilliantly off the wall, the soundtrack rocks, and the running time is about right. My only gripe was with the ending, I found it to be inconclusive and a bit of a cop out, but as gripes go its a minor one.