Unter Brüdern

Just saw this film for the first time, 8-Jan-06. It conveys to me why I like Boys in the Hood and New Jack City. As a self described movie person, who only learned and saw the film maker's art through the lens of the boob tube beginning in the 1960s, I would like to recommend this movie. When the movie opened up, I just assumed a mid USA rust belt city that could be any one of thousand places. Chicago, Gary Indiana, Cleveland, etc. The ending surprised me , in that the cops from NYC showed up at their parents house. The last scenes action did not.

The first half of the film I just could not stop watching. We all grow up with dreams. We all think things will be like they are in the movies. At least the famous ones. The Classics. The reality of Boys in the Hood, New Jack City and The Best Years of Our Lives, later on in the film slaps you in the face. The ending did not do it for me. Every thing leading up the ending was believable. Going back home to the old neighborhood after getting out. Getting hooked up with family. Seeing people moving on, moving to their same end. The girl who was left back and was about to by hooked up to a violent looser like Loraine's 1st husband. Diane marrying a nice quiet boy, like she thought Joey was. Joey looking around and seeing the life he thought he would have. I just could not watch the strip scene with Loraine. The last good scene was Joey and Loraine in the car talking.

I would like to hope the ending was forced on the director because of perceived market forces.

This is my first experience with a Giovinazzo film, and with all the actors, so it's totally fresh eyes. I liked the film. I knew from early on, when the brother is introduced, where the story was going to go. It would have been thrilling had I been wrong, but I wasn't. That didn't diminish the film in any way. All the production qualities were excellent, which left me only watching three actors really inform their characters. Consistency of mood I would call it. Even when there are brief happy moments, the smile or laugh is expressed, but the hard truth underneath is still apparent. There are a lot of references to Tim Roth's Joey being slow, which I don't quite buy. He carries on cohesive conversations, has logic, understands consequences, and makes decent decisions. He isn't bumbling through life. There's only one line I recall about him being very smart before, which is valid to support a change in mental capacity, but I would rather have had them refer to his malleability more that mental capacity since I did not see him as "slow". Having said that, I did accept the story line that his peers in their youth and older, rowdy, unthinking selves would call Joey that. The one thing I appreciated most about this film was the total lack of over-reacting that so often happens when there is violence. Violence and fear are part of these people's lives, so, when it happens, it's just part of that particular day. Brilliant restraint. Even at the end, there is what I might call the "look" that could have occurred between the brothers, and, thankfully, didn't. To the end, the film stayed true to it's mood and truths. That's what I think kept me engrossed in it.

With the exception of "The Unscarred", this is Buddy Giovinazzo's most technically accomplished piece. It does share thematic similarities with "Combat Shock", but it is a solid character drama that would not be out of place on a double bill with the Australian "The Boys". Being a Giovinazzo flick, it's about deeply flawed characters living in a personal hell. They see no way out of their situation and are too emotionally paralyzed to act, anyway.

Deborah Kara Unger, who is a dynamite actress (and seriously sensual), is terrific as Lorraine, the girlfriend of James Russo's Tommy. Tim Roth plays Joey, who has just been released from jail and relies on his brother gratitude to give him a roof and bed until he gets his act together. Complications arise when local criminal elements encroach on Joey's rehabilitation.

The plot is nothing new and hardly worth a mention. The drama's the thing here and it burns like a bolt of lightning once the the film's niceties are out of the way. Russo, who was also in "The Unscarred", is hard as nails and scarily convincing as Tommy. Roth never disappoints, unless the script's not there, and in this venture he makes us feel his pain.

Another vacation in hell, with a great score, from one of cinema's darkest contemporary directors who is as seriously underrated as Ferrarra is seriously overrated.

Tim Roth (Hoodlum, Reservoir Dogs) stars as a recently paroled prisoner who goes home to his older brother who has gotten married when he was in prison. His brother, played by James Russo (Donnie Brasco, Panther) lets him live with them which doesn't please his wife, very well-played by Deborah Kara Unger (The Game, The Hurricane). Soon Unger discovers that Roth is actually a pretty nice guy who is slow in the head, but wants to go legit. His brother continues to sell drugs and may bring Roth back into trouble. The film's main story is the relationships among these three people with the most focus on the brother's relationship. This relationship is especially compelling as you see the love, but also much strain and pain between these two that is revealed later. James Russo creates a very interesting character in the older brother. He isn't a standard bad brother, he obviously cares for Roth, but also will do whatever it takes to make his own life better. Russo is great from start to finish in the role. The always-reliable Tim Roth gives a powerful lead performance as the slow-minded and easily influenced, but nice younger brother. Roth very quickly gains sympathy while creating a compelling character. Highly recommended, but not a feel-good movie.

An ex-con is released from the pen and returns home determined to go straight. He moves in with his brother and sister-in-law and learns of his brother's troubles with a local crime organization. The brother's problems excalate to the breaking point when the thugs demand more money than he has. This was a good show, however it had several flaws; namely the gunfire sounded like underpowered fireworks, and some of the kicks and punches were obviously not connecting. Extremely violent, with buckets of blood.