Quando eravamo fratelli

"We The Animals" (2018 release; 94 min.) brings the story of three brothers somewhere in rural New York. As the movie opens, we see the three boys Manny, Joel and Jonah (aged 10-12 or thereabouts) roaming the woods near their house. We also get to know their parents (simply referred to as "ma" and "paps"), with paps being rather volatile and short-tempered. Jonah, the youngest of the three brothers, keeps a diary where he writes and draws as he absorbs what is going on around him. Then one day, after the family goes out swimming in a nearby river, ma and paps get into a terrible fight... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the book of of the same name by Justin Torres. I have not read the book and hence cannot comment how close the film remains to the book. But I can tell you that this movie is quite the experience. Directed by (for me unknown) Jeremiah Zagar, the movie has a dream-like feel to it, helped in part because the movie accentuates the perspective of Jonah, the youngest of the brothers who turns 10 ("you're not 10, you'll always be 9, and today you are 9 plus 1", ma tells him). The casting of the three young boys is absolutely fantastic (film debut for all three of them). As the movie progresses, the drawings play a bigger role, and take on a life of their own (literally). I found it all very engaging. There are a lot of coming-of-age movies out there, but this is one of a different kind, that's for sure. If there is one element of the film that I can be critical about, it's that much of the movie is filmed with handheld cameras and in extreme close-ups, which took me a while to get used to.

"We The Animals" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to great acclaim, and it finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended dismally (3 people, including myself), although the gorgeous and warm weather probably had something to do with that. If you are in the mood for a coming-of-age movie that is of a different kind, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but it turned out to remind me of two masterpieces- Moonlight and The Tree of Life. Its camerawork is sometimes reminiscent of Malick and the flowing, dreamy-like atmosphere he creates, but the narrative is also sometimes very much in the structure of Moonlight. Regardless, it's a fantastic film filled with fantastic performances that deserves to be seen.

We the Animals is a series of very interesting ideas. Some are powerful, some are provocative, and some don't string together as well as they should. But all ideas revolve around dealing with dysfunctional parents, and the lessons that some children take from living in that environment. The three boys, as well as the parents seem authentically real. In 16mm, this film seems more like a home movie than an indie narrative feature. When the imagination runs wild, We the Animals soars (sometimes quite literally).

It's pretty incredible that this is Director Jeremiah Zagar's first feature, which he also co wrote. The movie is based on a novel and focuses on Jonah the youngest of three brothers growing up in a volatile family environment. We follow Jonah's escapism into magical realism as he tries to forget the harshness of his surroundings. The dialogue and acting from all is brilliant, especially from the three young boys.

Cinematographer Zak Mulligan shot most of it on film and cites Ken Loach and the documentary 'Street Wise' as big influences on the movie. The grainy effect of film captures the nostalgic feel of the narrative and helps the viewer get into the 1980s vibe.

Most of the themes centre around your general coming of age type tropes (Peer pressure, belonging, family dynamics etc) but the real strength of the film is putting the viewer into the headspace of Jonah. Making us live those slices of time and fantasies that he does. There is one scene in particular where the camera swings round to complete a reveal that practically left my jaw on the floor it is done so well.

Fans of films like 'Moonlight', 'The Florida Project', 'Mud, 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' and of Directors like Andrea Arnold might enjoy this one.

Jonah's a young boy, a bit different from his brothers, trying to make sense of the world.

Great film.

I lived parts of this story. My parents have a toxic marriage. My Dad is mentally ill and was abusive. He has bipolar. My childhood felt so free at times, like this kid, but as I got older I realized how trapped I was. I'm 27 now, free enough of my childhood, but the memories always linger. Watching this was painful, but sometimes you ave to acknowledge what happened.