Brotherhood

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.

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.

I don't know why they were really going to this camp in the first place. Then I don't know why they decided to go out on a boat. I have no idea what it was like for them when the storm came because it didn't show when the storm started. In fact, I didn't see much of a storm at all. It jumps in the middle of things and back out again, repeatedly. I didn't see a fight for life at all because there was too much bouncing around in the timeline. I saw young men clinging to an overturned boat for a few minutes and then back to the beach before they went out on the boat, and back again. I think at one point I started to literally doze off, but I didn't miss much as nothing was happening when I started to doze off and nothing was happening when I came alert. It was sort of like the entirety of this movie going in and out of a poorly shown event. A lot of nothing happening.

The film was well acted and beautifully filmed and has a great historic feel, but was unfortunately rather boring, the cutting back and forth just did not work. Better would have been a chronological film and we might have got a bit more character development. The scenes in the boat are so dark at times you can barely make out what is going on and the sound quality is poor and the dialogue mumbled,

I've never heard of this tragedy, or of Long Point. I enjoyed the movie, even more after finding out this was filmed in Canada using a lot of Canadian talent. Usually, a few minutes in, I say to myself "This looks Canadian". This was a well-made movie. It was based on a true story, not made to be an action-packed blockbuster. Even the Titanic was a bit of a bore, but it was based on an actual event. Story Telling isn't always edge of your seat viewing.