Directed by Max Barbakow, Brothers tells the story of a reformed criminal (Josh Brolin) whose attempt at going straight is derailed when he reunites with his sanity-testing twin brother (Peter Dinklage) on a cross-country road trip for the score of a lifetime. Dodging bullets, the law, and an overbearing mother (Glenn Close) along the way, they must heal their severed family bond before they end up killing each other.
Comedies like this normally don’t grab my attention but this one did due to the cast consisting of a few favorites of mine and the director, Max Barbakow, who made a pretty damn good film in 2020 called Palm Springs. This film is set to release on Amazon Prime on October 17th but I got the chance to see it early during its limited theatrical run this week and I can honestly say I found it to be a mostly fun film. It is a simple road trip heist comedy that is mostly carried by fun performances from a great cast that definitely knows how to deliver some pretty good laughs. It is by no means a game changer to the genre nor does it reach the same heights of Palm Springs in terms of quality but it has enough going for it to make it a decent watch for any time you need to relax and have a good laugh.
The cast clearly had a lot of fun making this film and bouncing off each other with their own unique styles of comedy from different generations. The titular Brothers played by Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin are an excellent pair, sharing great chemistry and really selling it as estranged siblings with polar opposite personalities.
Peter Dinklage knows how to deliver great dry humor and we certainly get plenty of it with his performance as Jady Munger, the thrill seeker and troublemaker of the brothers who always seems to land in the toughest spots.
Josh Brolin on the other hand is more emotionally unbalanced with his humor as the slightly more mature brother Moke Munger. Brolin delivers most of the laughs through great physical comedy and dialogue that makes for a great combination when paired with Dinklage.
Glenn Close retains her comedic chops as well as gives a good amount of heart in her performance as the mother of the brothers, Cath Munger. Even though the character has a history of being a scoundrel who can’t be trusted she also does bring an immense warmth whenever she comes on screen and therefore makes her a welcome addition to the film.
Marisa Tomei delivers a hysterical performance as an oddball character the brothers encounter on their journey, though she seemed to be highly underused in comparison to most of the cast despite having some funny moments.
But the true spotlight stealer of this film is none other than the national treasure himself Brendan Fraser as Officer Farful. Fraser goes all in delivering a hilariously unhinged and over-the-top performance as the comedic villain of this film. Fraser wastes no time in showing himself to be an absolute menace to the brothers and delivers some of the best laughs of the entire film with some of the craziest line deliveries and moments that almost make him worth the watch alone. It’s honestly so great to see Fraser get more roles and prove he still has great range when it comes to doing performances in various genres.
The film’s narrative follows the traditional route of most road trip comedies and doesn’t necessarily have anything new or surprising as a result but it is definitely not short on entertainment value due to the cast and absurdly funny moments that are littered throughout the film. While the dialogue and characters bouncing off each other certainly is fun to watch it’s the physical comedy that really got me laughing hard in this film, with such a strong use of slapstick humor that doesn’t hold back on going to crazy places. Seeing an unhinged Fraser lift Dinklage and throw him against the wall like a wet paper towel had me laughing out loud in the theater and there are even more moments like that within this film that make it a joy to watch. What it may not have in terms of originality with its narrative it definitely makes up for it with the comedy.
In terms of technical elements, the film does look visually appealing thanks to some nice sets and cinematography but it isn’t something majorly beautiful in comparison to Barbakow’s previous film Palm Springs. Practical effects and stunts connected to the physical gags are brilliant and truly add a lot to the comedy of the film while the small amount of CGI used for one weird and wild gag in the film seemed a bit unnecessary.
Rupert Gregson-Williams delivers a decent though sadly not very memorable score for this film, while the soundtrack of songs added some fun to the film in various places, including a great needle drop moment with the song Joy To The World by Three Dog Night.
This film is a basic road trip heist comedy that may not be a game changer but has enough entertainment to warrant at least one watch, especially for its cast who clearly had fun in this film. If you are in need of a film that can give you a good laugh and let you feel relaxed while watching it then this is the film for you. Plus for all you Brendan Fraser fans out there like myself, this is one film you don’t want to miss. Be sure to catch it when it drops on Amazon Prime on October 17th. I’m going to give Brothers a B = 84.
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