32/28
(March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024)
Chronology
Two criminal twin brothers, one of whom is trying to reform, go on a dangerous robbery trip. Faced with legal troubles, gunfights and family drama, they must reconcile their differences before their mission leads to self-destruction. Last film appearance of actor M. Emmet Walsh (Judge Farful).
The goal is to find a cache of emeralds stolen by their long-absent mother (Glenn Close)
For some reason, genuinely funny comedies have become an increasingly rare cinematic commodity in recent years, so it’s a real treat to come across one that satisfyingly tickles the funny bone. Such is director Max Barbakow’s third film, a wild and wacky tale of a dysfunctional crime family trying to recover the hidden loot from a heist committed by the family’s matriarch (Jen Landon) 30 years earlier. Leading the charge are twin brothers Jady (Peter Dinklage), a career criminal recently released from prison, and Moke (Josh Brolin), a talented but long-reluctant thief now trying to go straight. He stole the items in the first place, but has been on the run ever since – and who now turns up secretly to collect the jewels.
This is how the unlikely trio begins their quest to get precious stones
to himself. Odyssey finds them aggressively pursued by police officer Farful (Brendan Fraser), a crooked prison guard who arranged Jady’s early release through her father, a corrupt judge (M. Emmett). Walsh in his penultimate act) in exchange for a substantial cut from the stash.
This feat is largely made possible by the performance of its top-notch cast (especially the three leads)
And along the way, the parties to this wacky caper take on a series of inventively inspired cartoon challenges, including Jady’s new alien girlfriend (Marissa Tomei), Moke’s pregnant wife (Taylour Paige), and the unusual Randy the gorilla, among others. It is also a cautionary tale that there is no honor among thieves, even if they are members of one’s own family. While some parts of the film are obviously a bit overwritten and overacted (especially by Fraser), much of this gore works quite well, reminiscent of one of the Coen Brothers' movies (although not quite as great). If nothing else, it represents a huge step up from the filmmaker’s last outing, the positively horrifying “Palm Springs.” (2020) (my worst movie of the year), as well as a big improvement over many of Amazon Prime’s recent disappointing offerings.
See more in our October calendar!
. "Brothers" isn’t epic filmmaking by any means, but it’s a good laugh at home on a Friday night with a big bowl of popcorn, and it’s pretty satisfying in its own right. "What We Do in the Shadows" is one of the biggest TV and streaming premieres this month.
