Brotherhood

I was looking forward to a Lord Of The Flies / Lost At Sea Combo but unfortunately it is a bit of an exercise in tedium.

Poor character development and a lot of very weak characters made the story overly long and rambling for me. I appreciate that this was a true story but sometimes you cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear and there was just not enough to make an entire film or perhaps it was the director who did not know how to fill the scenes with enough good dialogue and characterization so it gets a lowly and rather depressing 3/10 from me!

Like a Heritage Minute expanded to ninety, "Brotherhood" just may be the quintessential Canadian film. It is a beautifully shot, carefully paced, charmingly acted, and expertly wardrobed, family fare period piece, right in the wheelhouse of the CBC and NFB. Which also means that it is a little dry, a little too sentimental, and a little too eager to please. But damn it, it is maple leaf red Canadian, and the locals will love it.

Capturing the simple but beautiful landscapes and times of a post First War Kawartha Lakes young men camping adventure, "Brotherhood" is a throwback not only as an historic piece, but also a nod to classic movie making. Strengths and flaws and backgrounds are onion peeled as the scrum navigate boys-to-men, life building skills, culminating in an ultimate weather and water survival test.

Trouble is brewing, that much is clear, as the film flashes forward and back from sunny beach to ominous dark currents. What could have been a groaning plot spoiler, serves as character development whilst navigating a dire circumstance.

Based on fact, "Brotherhood" is good enough to engage in a tragedy for which the ending is no mystery. A little sappy, and a little cliched, it nonetheless entertains, especially to a devout patriotic audience. Perfect for the post Hockey Night in Canada, late Saturday viewing on the small screen.

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First the good: Good production values, photography, etc. The actors did a fine job.

The bad: The story is cut up into a series of flash forward and flashbacks that destroy continuity. If only the whole thing had been told chronologically it would have been much better. And why don't we see the actual cause of the overturned canoe? Cost?

The film is based on a true life harrowing experience how eleven (11) young boys lost their lives in a horrific boating accident when an unexpected storm arose on the waters at Balsam Lake near the town of Kirkfield, Ontario.

Upon arrival on July 20, the Wigington brothers were among the fifteen (15) people who set off in a 30-foot war canoe to purchase supplies in the town of Coboconk. Initial reports of a sudden squall with heavy wind and waves were later discounted and questions were raised about the experience of the paddlers. A mile or two from shore the war canoe capsized.

As described by the survivors they witnessed the bravery of some of the other young men who deliberately swam away from the capsized canoe as the heroes realized the overturned war canoe could not bear the weight of all of them.

In the film, the heroes bravery is reenacted and I am sure that the negative reviewers took umbrage of what they considered the unbelievable heroics of these young men who willingly gave up their own lives in the cold water so that others may have a chance at survival.

Sad but true. This is a well made portrayal of the events leading up to the accident as well as the aftermath of the survivors, one survivor who watched as his own brother drowned on that day. William "Willie" Wigington, 16, witnessed own his brother John, 17, drown and I can only imagine the nightmares Willie had for years afterwards. Only four people, including Willie Wigington, managed to hang on for six hours until the canoe landed ashore at Grand Island at about 2am.

This film is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, and the realism of the fear, the panic, and of course the tragic deaths of the young men who drowned when this heavy 30 foot war canoe overturned suddenly miles from shore is hard to imagine, but yet, it did happen and there were eleven (11) young men who lost their lives in a horrific and tragic boating accident in the summer of 1926, on Aug. 3, 1926.

Unfortunately, this is one of those movies that will have you staring at the clock, amazed that 96 minutes can seem so long. I say 'unfortunately' because there is so much material in this true story that should have resulted in a movie that is exciting, inspiring and extremely moving. In fact, the producers seem to think this movie is all of those things, but it is none of them.

There are a number of problems. Firstly, we never get to know any of the characters before they are thrown together into adversity. Consequently, it's very hard to care about what's happening to them. Secondly, the actual incident depicted here is shot so darkly (understandably since it happens at night) that it's hard to know who is who and what is happening. Thirdly, a lot of the movie is told in flashback and these back stories just aren't interesting. Fourthly, the age group of the boys who endured this tragedy was between 6 and 16. I don't think many of these actors are under 20. It would have been much more powerful if the cast were the correct age. Finally, the script really, really tries to wring as much emotion and pathos out of every moment it can and it shows. It's amazing then that this movie does not elicit any emotion at all, other than joy when it is finally over.

I really wanted to like this. I didn't. It's not going to say a bad movie, just incredibly dull.