Review by James Lindorf
“Brothers by Blood” is writer and director Jérémie Guez’s atmospheric adaptation of “Amor Fraterno” (Brotherly Love), Pete Dexter’s thrilling tale about mob life in Philadelphia. Philly may be known as the City of Brotherly Love, but there is no love lost between the local Italian and Irish gangs. Things come to a head after eight-year-old Peter Flood witnesses a neighbor’s reckless driving kill his little sister. Peter’s father is a big deal on the Irish side, and the driver works for the Italians, and the two set off a cycle of violence that last for decades. Thirty years later, Peter still wrestles with the guilt he feels over his sister’s death and the fallout from his father’s vengeance. Peter was raised in the gang, but he has started to distance himself from the family business, as his cousin, Michael, moves up in the hierarchy. As close as brothers and bonded by blood, neither man can escape violence as they are dragged deeper into a brutal cycle of betrayal and retribution. “Brothers by Blood” will be available in select theaters and on VOD and Digital on January 22nd and stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Joel Kinnaman, and Ryan Phillippe.
To his and cinematographer Menno Mans’ credit, “Brothers by Blood” looks excellent. Its cool and gritty color palette is the perfect fit for a low budget crime thriller and would have worked as well in the ’70s as it does today. Going along with the strong look is a great cast giving good performances throughout the film. Schoenaerts as Peter is introspective, brooding, intimidating but mostly shuffling through life. This gruff and rough around the edges character is where he shines. Kinnaman is far removed from his role as Alex Murphy in Robocop; he is meaner, leaner, and a bit deranged as the power-hungry Michael. Michael appears to suffer from a severe case of ADD as he fleets from one random obsession to the next with little thought as to why. Both actors excel in their roles, as does Phillipe in what boils down to a cameo.
Titles are subjective and, in the end, have no influence over the quality of a film, and there is nothing wrong with the idea of moving on from the title of Dexter’s novel. However, “Brothers by Blood” is not a very good or fitting title. Not only are they not brothers in the strict sense, but the title evokes the phrase “in blood only.” Like the characters don’t like or even acknowledge each other. When in fact, they appear to spend hours of every day together. That time is spent pretending to be construction workers, planning/committing murders, and some other ambiguous criminal activity that, outside of possible loansharking, isn’t even hinted at. We know they are the Irish mob, and that should be good enough.
That should be good enough must have been Guez’s mantra while writing the screenplay. Other than vague themes about childhood emotional trauma or how in a world of eye for an eye, we all go blind, there is not much substance to his story. From the first scene, Peter comes off numb and emotionally dissociated from life, which I feel when reflecting on the film’s plot. Audiences will understand and possibly predict everything coming, but it will wash over them without any emotional involvement. The cast does its best to go beyond what is on the page, but they only do so much when the audience is always asking why they are being inactive or questioning their motivations.
“Brothers by Blood” is Guez’s sophomore film, and it shows tons of promise. A great look and strong performances are something that can carry many films. Maybe his talent lies more in the director’s chair than the writer’s chair, or perhaps he needs a script doctor to bring in the emotional element. You could do much worse than spending part of your day with these brothers but keeping your expectations to a reasonable level is the key to getting the most out of the film.
Distributed By: Vertical Entertainment
In Select Theaters, On VOD & Digital January 22, 2021
Written & Directed By: Jérémie Guez
Based on a Novel By: Pete Dexter
Produced By: Aimée Buidine, Julien Madon, Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Trevor Matthews, Nick Gordon, Jérémie Guez
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Maika Monroe, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ryan Phillippe
Rating: R
Run Time: 89 mins
